Words by Bonjay—
This Friday, July 1, is Canada Day, the Canadian equivalent of July 4th. For the occasion, we tapped Ian “Pho” Swain and Alanna Stuart of Toronto-based post-dancehall outfit Bonjay (whose electric, Natalie Storm-featuring “Stumble [Passa Passa Remix]” just premiered here last week) to run down a list of the 10 most interesting and significant Canadians of Caribbean descent. There’s a lot more than you think…
Since we started venturing far afield from our Toronto home to perform, we’ve been taken aback by how many people are surprised there are West Indians in Canada. From random Texans to the New York Times (“Canadian dancehall? Why not?”), we spend a lot of time explaining that, yes, there are a lot of Caribbean people in Toronto and Montréal, so no, it’s not weird that we grew up on dancehall sonics, and they’re a big influence on our own music. So in an effort to promote international understanding, we present to you: our take on the Top 10 Caribbean-Canadians.