Different generations of African diaspora share their stories through performance in celebration of Black history month 

After taking a break during the COVID-19 pandemic, NEXIM International Development Organization returned to Canada to honour Black history month. NIDO is an international social enterprise aiming to support communities in Uganda and improve access to education and human rights. This year, they created a series of events to promote their core focus of the four Es – Education, Environment, Equality and Economic Sustainability.  

Of the events they organized was 3 Generations of Black History Come Together, a night which showcased talent from Black artists in Hamilton at the McIntyre Performing Arts Centre at Mohawk College on Feb. 27.  

This event started in 2013 and the last time it was held was in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this event was to raise awareness and provide a cultural exchange by bringing artists’ talents and putting a spotlight on Uganda as part of their continuous efforts to support the country. So far, they have helped to build a secondary school and they are hoping to build more primary schools

The event featured three generations: Minnijean Brown-Trickey, a civil rights legend; Emmanuel Jal, a war child survivor from the Sudan war, peace ambassador, NIDO ambassador and music artist and the Suubi Fusion Troupe, a dance group consisting of NIDO’s secondary school students from Uganda ages 10 to 20 years old. 

Danny Wells, project lead and communications manager at NIDO, wanted to help Black artists share their stories and talents around the world. 

“A lot of [the guest speakers and performers] came from underprivileged families that may have led to some difficulties because of . . . economic instability, where they live, where they access education . . .This opportunity [allowed them to] share their culture and talents,” explained Wells. 

By showcasing the challenges, history and difficulty accessing education encountered by the African diaspora, it spread messages of the importance of providing opportunities for self-empowerment to unlock one’s full potential. Due to various factors, those from Uganda often have to overcome barriers to receive these opportunities. By having the performers share their stories through arts and music, Wells wished to prompt attendees to reflect on the injustices they have experienced in their own lives and how they overcame them. 

“We hope people . . . [feel] the power of the music, the power of culture, the power of story, whether we've been disenfranchised in our own lives,” said Wells. 

“We hope people . . . [feel] the power of the music, the power of culture, the power of story, whether we've been disenfranchised in our own lives,”

Danny Wells, project lead and communications manager at NIDO

A significant part of the event was music and dance, particularly through Suubi Fusion Troupe and Emmanuel Jal, who primarily focused on celebrating African tradition and evolving global culture through their performances.  

The students of Suubi Fusion Troupe shared their personal stories while healing and moving on from their past traumatic experiences through their performance using African music and drums. 

Wells hopes visitors left the event wanting to spread the word about the talent and stories from the performances. He also wanted to inspire everyone to share their stories, make changes in their communities and be creative.  

“Our economy is growing globally – in terms of different nations working together [and] building together. Especially . . . [in] Canada, a land of so many different immigrants, it's important that we can find common ground and work together as a global community,” explained Wells. 

Overall, it is important to take time to reflect on global historical events that deprived Black youth of their fundamental human rights. This event aspired to bring together a community of likeminded individuals and establish a strong connection with the performers and audience, while sharing stories about three generations of Black history.  

C/O McMaster University Concert Band

The McMaster University Concert Band looks forward to bringing the band together in person as COVID restrictions ease

Under the School of the Arts, the McMaster University Concert Band offers students the opportunity to practice music in an ensemble setting, engage with the Hamilton community through performances and meet other students interested in music while doing so.

No matter which discipline or program you belong to, all McMaster University students are welcome to audition for the band.

Students can choose to join the concert band as a course for credit if they would like. Regardless of whether students are receiving credit or not, all players complete the same band activities. 

Typically, the MCB gathers together for rehearsals once a week and holds three regular performances. Additional performances and engagements with the community also occur throughout the year. 

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ensemble conducted all rehearsals and performances online in the 2020-2021 academic year. 

Speaking to last year’s experience, President of the MCB, Duncan McCallum, said that although doing everything online was not an ideal experience, the band was able to learn a lot from the challenges they overcame. 

“It was a much more collaborative process. We were all trying to figure it out together so that was I think rewarding and certainly something new that was cool to experience,” said McCallum. 

“It was a much more collaborative process. We were all trying to figure it out together so that was I think rewarding and certainly something new that was cool to experience.”

Duncan McCallum, President of the McMaster University Concert Band

Doing everything online taught the band that there are benefits to working in smaller groups and that virtual participation opens up opportunities for more guest speakers or musicians to engage with the band. 

Now, for the 2021-2022 academic year, McMaster has announced that students are welcome to come back to campus. However, many COVID-19 protocols are still in place. If the band wishes to incorporate in-person components within their rehearsals, they must adhere to the protocols. 

Thus, McCallum said that exact plans for how the school year will play out are still undetermined. For now, meetings will be conducted virtually. 

McCallum explained that having to consider the different instrumental needs of the band introduces an added level of difficulty for meeting in person. Different mask procedures would also have to be adapted to accommodate the players. 

In addition, social distancing poses another barrier for the band. Students have to remain six feet apart. In a typical year, the band is comprised of about 70 students, so finding enough space for the band to meet would be difficult.

Despite all these challenges, McCallum looks forward to bringing the band together in person. 

“There’s a lot of barriers to [meeting] in-person, but I think everyone’s so eager to do so that we’re just going to jump on it any chance we get, [even if] that means playing outside in a parking lot [or] being spaced out in the bleachers of the concert hall so that we’re all far away [enough] from each other,” said McCallum. 

“There’s a lot of barriers to [meeting] in-person, but I think everyone’s so eager to do so that we’re just going to jump on it any chance we get, [even if] that means playing outside in a parking lot [or] being spaced out in the bleachers of the concert hall so that we’re all far away [enough] from each other.”

Duncan McCallum, President of the McMaster University Concert Band

Wendy Tang, vice-president of the MCB, said that on top of practicing music, building a community is also an essential part of the band’s culture. 

“Apart from rehearsals, as execs we also ran a lot of events so students can also feel that community because honestly, a big part of our concert band aside from it being a band is also the community that we’ve built,” said Tang. 

“Apart from rehearsals, as execs we also ran a lot of events so students can also feel that community because honestly, a big part of our concert band aside from it being a band is also the community that we’ve built.”

Wendy tang, Vice-President of the McMaster University concert Band

Having events where students can socialize and get to know each other is something that the executives of the band aim to do every year. 

McCallum also emphasized that despite still having to do things online, learning from experiences from the previous year greatly benefits the new year. 

“[Not just the band, but] a lot of classes and clubs, they [also] felt like they adapted because they had to, not because [it was] the best circumstance. This year, we want to make it the most rewarding experience we can with whatever is thrown at us, whether that means being online for part of the semester or being in-person as much as we can,” said McCallum.

This year, we want to make it the most rewarding experience we can with whatever is thrown at us, whether that means being online for part of the semester or being in-person as much as we can.”

Duncan McCallum, President of the McMaster University Concert Band
Photo C/O Kronos Quartet

Space, the final frontier — these are the words uttered by television’s space captain Jean-Luc Picard aboard the starship Enterprise-D. Star Trek nurtured the world’s passion for space exploration, inspiring awe and wonder about the dark abyss that surrounds us. We exist in this unknown under the twinkling lights of the stars, in the midst of the slow harmonious orbit of planets dancing to the music of outer space.

Back on Earth, Kronos String Quartet is playing along to this music. For David Harrington, founder and violinist of the group, music is as mysterious as space. 

“To me music is a very personal, it’s almost human substance that we create for each other. We get to share it with each other. As a musician, all it means is that from a very early age, that’s what you wanted to have around you all the time, but it’s a mystery. How it works? I cannot tell you. I do not know. I’m in awe of music,” said Harrington.

Growing up in Seattle, Washington, Harrington started forming string quartets — a group of four musicians comprising of violin, viola, cello and bass — when he was 12 years old. When he turned 14, something did not make sense to him. He looked at the globe that sat in his family home and realized that all of the music he played and listened to were by the same people out of Vienna: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert.

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“The globe has more cities and religions. I needed to explore the world of music. That started me on a voyage that I continue to this very day of wanting to know more of music, more about cultures, languages, religions, traditions and forms of music,” said Harrington.

“The globe has more cities and religions. I needed to explore the world of music. That started me on a voyage that I continue to this very day of wanting to know more of music, more about cultures, languages, religions, traditions and forms of music,” said Harrington.

Growing up towards the end of the 1960s, the U.S.-Vietnam war shook American values and left a long lasting impression on Harrington. He and his wife left the United States in 1972 in fear that he would be drafted for the war. Signing a one-year contract with the Victoria Symphony Orchestra, Harrington played in British Columbia until returning to his home one year later. 

“[The war] influences all of us a great deal . . . I feel like Kronos was created in 1973 in the shadow of that war . . . The idea that music can be an essential aspect of life and even a counterbalance to events and can actually become a way of responding and even countering directions that things are moving in. That’s right at the heart of why we started this group,” said Harrington. 

Kronos String Quartet is based out of San Francisco, California. Harrington has been at the helm of the group as a violin player ever since its inception in November of 1973. The group’s other members are John Sherba (violin), Hank Dutt (viola) and Sunny Yang (cello), who play together to form a dynamic mix of stringed voices.

The quartet will be performing “Sun Rings” composed by Terry Riley, a friend of the group. The idea for the piece came in 2000 when Harrington’s manager received a phone call from NASA. NASA asked if the group would be interested in using recordings from the Voyager space probes, which were launched to conduct close-up studies of Jupiter and Saturn. While space itself does not emit noise, plasma waves can be recorded via a receptor and transposed into sound waves, producing audible noise.

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After hearing the recording, Harrington quickly called Riley to ask him to compose a piece that complimented the music of space. However when disaster struck on Sept. 11, 2001, Riley stopped composing and reconsidered the entire piece. He rewrote “Sun Rings” as a musical response to 9/11, finishing the piece in 2002.

The composer knew that somehow he wanted to integrate the pain he was feeling into the music. In the performance’s final song entitled “One Earth, One People, One Love”, Riley used voice recordings of poet Alice Walker as she chants “One Earth, one people, one love”. Riley recorded Walker during a demonstration following the 9/11 terror attack the day before.

The composer knew that somehow he wanted to integrate the pain he was feeling into the music. In the performance’s final song entitled “One Earth, One People, One Love”, Riley used voice recordings of poet Alice Walker as she chants “One Earth, one people, one love”.

Riley also used audio recordings of Gene Cernan, the most recent astronaut to walk on the moon. Cenran’s voice can be heard at the opening of the piece as he says, “You have to literally just pinch yourself and ask yourself the question, silently, 'Do you really know where you are at this point in time in space and in reality and in existence, when you look out the window, and you're looking back at the most beautiful star in the heavens?’” This was Cernan’s testament to the beauty of Earth. 

“We hope that “Sun Rings” as an experience will radiate out into the community, through the audience, through the choir that joins us, through all of us,” said Harrington.

Kronos String Quartet brings a unique performance to McMaster, not only through the music involved, but also through the message that they convey. The piece was created to instill hope and bring the world together during a time where many felt isolated. Combining these ideas with the vast unknown that is outer space, the piece emphasizes the unity of humankind.

“I think that my allowing Sun Rings to enter your life, I think a person will find a larger sense of appreciation for what we have right here, right now,” said Harrington. “Music is very mysterious, we never know when we will connect with another listener . . . it just gives more of a sense of wonder and wonder is such a beautiful thing.”

Kronos String Quartet will be playing “Sun Rings” (T. Riley) accompanied by the McMaster University and Women’s Choirs on Nov. 9 at 8 p.m. and on Nov. 10 at 2 p.m. in L.R. Wilson Concert Hall as a part of The Socrates Project.

 

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Photo c/o Steve Tyas

By Andrew Fayed, Contributor

Nikolas Motruk knew that the McMaster Marauders’ men’s baseball team would come out strong in their four-game opening weekend, but even the fourth-year veteran admits that the team outperformed even their own high expectations for themselves. With an absolutely incredible 58 runs in four games, it’s safe to say that the rest of the league has been put on notice, that this year, the Marauders have come to play. 

“When I started in my first year, we had a total of four wins, and it really didn’t look promising. We had five wins the next year before we finally had a winning record at 10-8 last year which was the first time we had a winning record in five years. So, this year we definitely expected to come out stronger than ever, but maybe not quite as strong as we did,” says Motruk with a laugh. 

The four games played this past weekend came against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues, the Ryerson Rams, the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees and the Carleton University Ravens. 

“We’ve had a bit of a rivalry with them [UofT] over the past few years, last year they actually walked us off in an elimination game in the Ontario University Athletics championship, so we were definitely hungry for them. We knew we had to come out strong and set the tone for the weekend, and we scored five in the first inning,” Motruk said. 

Motruk’s performance this past weekend jumped off the stat sheet going 9-15 from the plate, with five extra base hits, and 10 runs batted in. Motruk was not only a strong player on the men’s baseball team, but it was enough for him to capture the prestigious Pita Pit Male Athlete of the Week award. Motruk credits his ability to stay calm under pressure and his confidence in his batting abilities as the keys to his monumental success.

“You can never let baseball get to your head. You always have to keep the same approach and stay confident at the plate. I went into every at bat knowing what the pitcher was going to throw at me and knowing that I had a job to do. When your team is playing well, there are always runners on base so those RBI’s are more of a team stat,” said Motruk. 

When questioned on being Male Athlete of the Week, Motruk was quick to build up his team and his sport instead of focusing on himself. 

“It’s not so much of a me thing, I just feel so good for the team that now we’re finally getting this recognition. It’s really a huge step forward for the team in general and for baseball as a university sport. Some students don’t even know that we have a baseball team, so this kind of recognition is really cool,” Motruk noted.

As a four-year veteran, Motruk has been through it all with the marauders’ baseball team. But back in his first year, Motruk was initially worried about the difference in workload from high school to university as a mechanical engineering student and was very hesitant about playing baseball for the Marauders at all. 

“I didn’t really want to play baseball at first, I thought that students were all set up to fail and the schedules were so hectic, I thought that there was no way I could do this. I have to give credit to my parents who really motivated me to give it a shot, and I joined the team. I played three innings in my first year, and that was definitely an eye-opening experience. That really motivated me, even more, to get better. I pushed myself hard over the next couple of years, and here we are today,” Motruk added.

You can see Motruk and the Marauders next on Sept. 28 as they face the Queens University Gaels and York University Lions doubleheader in Kitchener. 

Nikolas Motruk - Baseball

Nikolas Motruk (8) OF


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Photos C/O Yvonne Lu, James Ramlal

By: Andrew Mrozowski

Stop. Take a second and look up from this article. You’ll most likely see everyone around you on some form of technology, be it on their phones, tablets or computers. We now live in a world where we are so heavily dependent on technology. According to Yvonne Lu, people should be more conscious about how technology affects their identity.

Originally starting off her undergraduate career in commerce, Lu realized her passion laid in a different faculty. Lu began working in marketing and communications but felt like something was missing. She decided to take on a double major between multimedia and theatre and film.

Now in her final year at McMaster, Lu decided to combine her two disciplines into one overall thesis, taking the form of an interactive multimedia installation and a physical performance called interFACE, as part of the School of the Arts Honours Performance Series.

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The concept for interFACE came to Lu over this past summer when she was employed by a music video company to be their social media coordinator. Although typically not very active on social media in her own life, Lu found herself getting jealous from the various platforms that she managed as there was an overall feeling that everyone was doing better than her.

“Although there definitely were positive and negative experiences, always being on social media and seeing that people younger than me were doing cooler things than I was, working with huge producers, big companies and getting more responsibility than I was… a lot of the times I felt jealous. It’s why I felt I was a step back, I understood why others were successful and a lot of it was trying to catch up with people,” explained Lu.

interFACE examines how young women interact with technology and how this oversaturation impacts their identity as they grow up. Stemming from a vignette of experiences, the multi-disciplinary art experience allows attendees to delve into the development of identity to look at similarities and differences between how we portray ourselves online versus in person.

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“The question to consider is whether or not social media and digital technology enables us to do more things, or if it consumes us and we are at the whim of the mass media,” explained Lu.

This form of installation is experimental as it features two parts. Viewers will first embark through an audio-visual capsule, which is an audio-sensory experience that saturates the audience in a world that Lu and her team have designed to convey the importance of why we should pay more attention to our own identities. Next viewers will be seated to enjoy the physical portion which expands on what they have observed in the audio-visual capsule.

“This is not something that you would see in traditional theatre. It’s not a narrative or linear piece. We are creating a visceral experience for both our collaborators and audience. We want them to feel that they are in the belly of the beast,” said Lu.

For the thesis student, what the audience takes away from the experience is the primary objective of this piece.

“There isn’t a specific message I want people to walk away with. It’s live theatre and it’s all about interpretation. For us, that’s kind of what I want audiences to walk away with. Questions of what they felt. It’s an emotional journey rather than a narrative,” said Lu.

Show times for interFACE will run on March 28 at 12:30 and 8 p.m. and on March 29 and March 30 at 12:30 and 7 p.m. at the Black Box Theatre in L.R. Wilson Hall. Admission is free.

 

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Photo C/O @hamiltonwinterfest

By: Natalie Clark

Hamilton has been getting its fair share of the winter weather this season, so in what better way to embrace it than to explore all that Winterfest 2019 has to offer?

Winterfest is a two-week long affair that features winter events in and around the city. Beginning Feb. 1, there will be free and paid events held throughout Hamilton such as open skate, live music and various themed events. Take a break from studying and enjoy the winter weather while taking part in this timely Hamilton tradition.

 

Live Music by Matt Mays

Juno Award winner and Hamilton born indie rock singer/songwriter Matt Mays will be performing at Hamilton Central Public Library on Feb. 10. Mays is currently on his Dark Promises Tour and will be making a pit stop in his hometown for an intimate show. Head on down to Hamilton Central Public Library for some of the best music Hamilton has to offer. This is a paid event and tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite.

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Frost Bites Performance Festival

Frost Bites is a four-day event in partnership with Hamilton Fringe featuring some of Hamilton’s best theatre performers. Each night, artists will perform “bites” of theatre shows that are meant to last no longer than 20 minutes each. The festival will also be taking place on Feb. 14 to Feb. 17 at two community locations, the New Vision United Church and St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church.

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Celebrate Black History Month in Hamilton

On Feb. 13, Winterfest will be holding a lecture featuring guest speaker Kojo “Easy” Damptey, an afro-soul musician and scholar-practitioner. Born and raised in Ghana, he attempts to address societal issues and enact change in the world with his lyrics. He will be speaking on behalf of stories of existence, resilience and resistance. The event is free and will be held at the Historic Ancaster Old Town Hall. All are welcome to join the celebration and commemoration of Black History Month.

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Learn to Knit

Stressed? Bored? Dying to pick up a new hobby? If any of those resonate with you then this beginners knitting course may be up your alley. For $90 you’ll learn the basics of knitting over the course of three classes, running on Wednesdays from Feb. 13 to Feb. 27. Grab a group of friends and head down to the Art Aggregate in East Hamilton for all the tips and tricks you need to know about knitting.

 

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Tai Chi Open House

In honour of the beginning of the Chinese New Year on Feb. 5, Barton Stone Church will be hosting a Fung Loy Kok Taoist Tai Chi Open House on Feb. 9. This event is free and includes a demonstration and class, as well as various hot drinks including tea and apple cider! There will be volunteer staff available to chat with you about their class schedule, as well as information about the benefits of Taoist Tai Chi. The event is sure to be a warm evening full of new learning experiences.

 

The Canteen

The Canteen is one of Hamilton Winterfest’s signature events. Featuring live music from a variety of artists, including Hamilton-based singer/songwriter Ellis, a cozy fire, winter marketplace and various other events, this event is worth the trip to the Battlefield House Museum & Park National Historic Site on 77 King Street West. The location is also known as one of Canada’s most significant monuments of the War of 1812. Aside from participating in the event’s attractions, you are also welcome to explore the museum and historic grounds on site. This is an all-day event taking place on Feb. 16 starting at 10 a.m.

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Photos by Razan Samara

Salma Hindy likes to think that she was at her peak creativity and performance level while making her childhood friends laugh. Lunch times at the Islamic elementary and secondary schools she attended turned into a comedy sketch hour filled with extravagant storytelling and ridiculous imitations of her teachers and friends.

The up-and-coming comedian recently returned from the 12 city Super Muslim Comedy Tour in the United Kingdom, and finished in second place in the Toronto Comedy Brawl competition against over 400 comedians. Hindy also spent her autumn performing at comedy festivals in Boston, Dallas, Chicago and New York.

As Hindy prepares to open for American comedian and actor Ken Jeong on Jan. 11 for the Life After Mac performance on campus, it’s fair to say storytelling and making people laugh have followed her into adulthood.

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Despite growing up being the funniest person in the room and even getting encouragement from Zarqa Nawaz, creator of CBC’s popular sitcom Little Mosque on the Prairie, Hindy held back on making a move into the comedy industry as she came to grips with how her family and community would react.

Growing up in a conservative Muslim household meant that her parents have a rigid understanding of what comedy and performance is, which made it difficult for them to understand what their daughter wanted to pursue.

While their ideas of comedy were often tainted with negative connotations and misconceptions, Hindy wanted to show her family and Muslim community that clean comedy can be approached in a way that is mindful of the values and boundaries she has set for herself. Her career, identity and spirituality are part of her own personal journey and comedy just so happens to play an important part as well.   

Despite her parents’ reluctance to attend her shows, Hindy’s mother found herself attending an event her daughter just so happened to be performing at for International Women’s Day this past March. It may have been seeing her daughter perform stand-up for the first time, the fact that Hindy removed all her parent jokes from her set, or the constant boasting on part of her mother’s friends, but the laughter seemed to ease her concerns.

The comedy industry was in for a shock too. Most audiences aren’t used to seeing a visibly Muslim woman take center stage at a comedy bar. Hindy will skip out on free drink tickets and get ecstatic at the availability of halal food at her events, but the industry is ready to embrace her and the diversity she brings.    

I fit in pretty well as someone who doesn't fit in, if that makes any sense. They want to see people with different identities… different stories and different perspectives. Somebody who can teach them something that they didn't know before while obviously still being entertaining and funny,” explained Hindy.

While Hindy’s faith and stereotypes around her identity do seep into her act, she isn’t explicitly written for a Muslim audience. Her witty remarks and hilarious stories about her life, which are all based on true events, humanize her as a Muslim Canadian; an identity that is often informed by the media rather than real life interactions.

Comedy became a breakthrough for fostering understanding. From jokes about struggling to have a crush reciprocate feelings to witnessing anti-Muslim protestors outside of a mosque and thinking ‘wow, these people go to the mosque more than me, like damn I wish I had your consistency’, Hindy utilizes storytelling to reach out to her audience and build a relationship.  

“[I]t doesn't even necessarily have to be specifically or explicitly about Muslim issues or Muslim struggles, obviously those are really enlightening and they're great informational pieces for the audience, but even just you ranting about the same thing that somebody else would rant about which is just very mundane, just shows how relatable you are and how much of a connection that we all have,” explained Hindy.

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Hindy has become a familiar face in the Toronto comedy scene. She was sought out for her talent but her hard work and reputation among producers keeps her busy performing an average of two shows a week. Impressively, that’s only about 10 per cent of what she spends her days doing.

Hindy completed her bachelor of engineering at McMaster and a masters in clinical engineering at the University of Toronto. She recently started her first full time job as a biomedical research engineer at Centre for Addiction and Mental Health so it’s only a matter of time before this milestone in her life inspires the newest additions to her comedy set.  

In conversation, Hindy can’t help crack a joke or two — or every five minutes— often followed by a ‘you know what I’m saying?’ and her contagious laughter. Comedy is her superpower, she uses it to spread awareness, break down stereotypes and share herself unapologetically with the world.

 

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Photo by Kyle West

By: Drew Simpson

On June 26, the McMaster University board of governors, specifically the executive and governance committee, approved recommendation from the senate executive committee to establish the Centre for Networked Media and Performance.

According to the Oct. 18 board of governors meeting agenda, the vision for the CNMAP is “the production, exploration and analysis of new forms of expression, communication and collaboration enabled by networks and networking techs.”

As highlighted in the agenda, the approval for the centre comes as the rapid proliferation of technology continues to outstrip discussions about their human uses and impacts. At the heart of the technological revolution is the advent of “the network,” namely connections such as shared software, online communications and new electronic and data environments. 

“Humanities research has a special role to play in this context,” reads part of the agenda.

“Research and research-creation in the media and performing arts offer a setting in which new configurations of our networked landscape can be imagined, actualized, evaluated, and transformed in experimental ways.”

As of its launch this past summer, the CNMAP has been utilizing the networked imagination laboratory and the black box theatre in L.R. Wilson to organize workshops, conferences, interdisciplinary collaborations and other forms of artist-centric research.

According to the board of governors agenda, the centre has interest in hosting an interdisciplinary national sound conference at McMaster in 2019.

Some examples of the ‘nodes,’ or research spaces, that are said to comprise the centre include the cybernetic orchestra, pulse lab, networked imagination laboratory, software studies reading group and the sounds studies reading group.

The the CNMAP also connects these nodes through an online platform aimed at facilitating communication and collaboration.

Some anticipated CNMAP expenses include national and international conferences, server software costs for the online platform and the cost of graphic design and promotion, which can involve hiring undergraduate multimedia students.

Revenues allocated to these expenses include the seed funding of $40,000 by the humanities faculty vice president of research.

In its first semester, the CNMAP was involved with organizing and promoting a number of events, including four free live coding workshops and the “Imaginary Landscapes” exhibition, which occurred in Dec. 2018 and featured soundscape performances, a cybernetic orchestra concert and an informative artist-centric poster demonstration.

Students interested in receiving updates and getting involved with the CNMAP can contact David Ogborn, the centre’s director, at ogbornd@mcmaster.ca and/or follow the centre on Facebook and Twitter

 

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Graphic C/O Razan Samara

Like the black and white ransom note style letters that spell out This Ain’t Hollywood, the wild and tame performances that have graced the music venue over the years are just as starkly juxtaposed.  

Whether you’re born and raised in the Hammer or you experience the city as more than a university town, This Ain’t Hollywood has often served as an introduction to Hamilton’s music scene.

From metal performances on Mondays to last Friday night’s tribute performances to Johnny Cash, the old pub turned rock ‘n’ roll palace has hosted all kinds of acts since co-owner Lou Molinaro alongside Glen “The Hamilton Kid” Faulman and his wife Jodie Faulman bought the James Street North establishment in 2009.

Thousands of hip hop, jazz, classic rock, punk, country, folk and blues performances have taken place on the ten-year-old stage. The venue became a hot spot for Juno after parties, performances for the Canadian Country Music Association’s Country Music Week and drag events.  

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While music pulsates through the 125-year-old walls of the building every other night, This Ain’t Hollywood is just as alive during the daylight.

Thursday’s are crafty happy hour sponsored by Collective Arts and Monday’s are for bingo and games. The space was also used by Over The Bridge co-founder Ace Piva to host a naloxone training and overdose prevention awareness event last November.

Now that the building is up for sale for just under $2.15 million, long-time concert goers, friends of the venue and Hamilton-based musicians are wondering about the fate of the venue and the direction the city’s music scene is heading. While the owners are testing the waters for a potential sale, Molinaro insists that the shows must go on.

The venue is making no cancellations to its upcoming booked shows and is still booking performances well into the new year. As the ambiguity around when the venue will be sold looms over everyone’s heads, the This Ain’t Hollywood team is planning to make every moment count before the lights go out.

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While there is still hope that the future buyer would continue to add to the legacy the rock ‘n’ roll palace will leave behind, here’s to remembering the moments that made This Ain’t Hollywood the icon it is in the north end.

[spacer height="20px"]The Other Side of Country

On Sept. 7, 2018 the CCMA hosted a show at This Ain’t Hollywood for the coveted Country Week. House band Dead Flowers had everyone’s feet stomping to the beat of the Rolling Stone’s country songs. Guests included Hamilton’s own Terra Lightfoot as well as Canadian country music singer-songwriters Madeline Merlo, JJ Shiplett, Wayne Petti, Damhnait Doyle and Wes Mack.

[spacer height="20px"]Every B.A. Johnston Performance

Every one of B.A. Johnston’s performances at This Ain’t Hollywood might be just as iconic in the Hamilton music scene as the venue itself. He is one of the most consistent performers, coming back show after show since the venue first opened. Johnston’s comedy music is difficult to explain but there’s a whole lot of laughs and tough love for Hamilton in his lyrics.

[spacer height="20px"]Strummer Night

The Annual Steel City Rockers Tribute to Joe Strummer has made This Ain’t Hollywood the event’s home for the past couple of years. After Faulman had a chance encounter with the Clash’s lead vocalist he decided to pursue music and form The Sam Lawrence 5. Molinaro was starting his own record label at the time and decided to record with the new band. Over a decade later The Sam Lawrence 5 is still performing tributes to Strummer and this year’s performance included renditions by The Let Downs, Sons of Dad, Hoodwinks and much more.

[spacer height="20px"]Sold-out shows  

Hamilton’s up and coming indie rockers, the Bandicoots, have held several of their hometown shows at This Ain’t Hollywood. Their sold out EP release party on June 3, 2016 was opened by The Crowleys & Jaunt, two other Hamilton bands on the rise.

Rock band Teenage Head got their start in Hamilton in the early 1980s and they’re still selling out shows. Pop band Un-Teens opened for Teenage Head’s show on Dec. 3, 2016 and both bands gave one of the loudest performances to shake This Ain’t Hollywood’s walls.

[spacer height="20px"]Arkells’ official music video for “Coffee”

In 2013, arguably Hamilton’s biggest musical success story filmed the official music video for their single “Coffee” off of the Michigan Left album at the venue. In between clips of arcade-game style animations the band is seen performing in front of sthe recognizable This Ain’t Hollywood banner. The Arkells held a surprise performance at the venue that same year and performed “Coffee” alongside other tracks off their album.

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Your MSU Campus Events Battle of the Bands winner, Sam Holladay, performed on the main stage tonight for Light Up the Night 2018.

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