A bit of festive dance at an art exhibit is perfect for the season. Imagemaker Art Prints in Port Credit recently showcased an art exhibit of paintings and photographs called Parang. The title of the exhibit comes from a type of folk music that originated out of Trinidad. Parang featured work from Bev Tang-Kong, Ian Grant, and Kenrick Ayow.
Bev Tang-Kong, artist, arts educator, and graduate of UTM’s art and art history program, uses her art to inform. Together with fellow artists from the Caribbean, the goal of this exhibit was to have a visual conversation that highlighted Parang, which first migrated to Toronto in 1969 by the Toronto branch of La Petite Musicale, a Caribbean musical institution founded by Olivia Walke.
Images within the Parang exhibit included musical instruments, church architecture, singing vocalists, and individuals celebrating.
Parang’s presence in Toronto has grown over the years. It is now an active component in Toronto’s Caribbean community. Each year, Parranderos, music merrymakers in Trinidad, perform Parang songs to audiences who are eager to shuffle their feet and keep the memory of their Spanish Creole folk culture alive.
The word Creole refers to an emigrant resettling into a dominant society. In this case, Spanish, Amerindian, and African migrants from Venezuela settled into Trinidad in the early years of its colonization, bringing with them their culture and merrymaking. The Parranderos travel from house to house as they share their music, something like caroling. The practice also exists to a smaller degree in other Caribbean islands.
Parang is more active at Christmas. Some traditional songs celebrate the birth of Christ and are fused with contemporary styles in true Trinidadian fashion of music, food, and dance. A Parang group consists of vocalists and musicians who play instruments such as ukulele, guitar, congas, maracas, violin, box bass, tock tock, and of late, the steelpan.
As The Medium readers read this article, Parang music events are happening across Toronto. Bev Tang-Kong hopes to exhibit another show in the future, referencing Parang with more colour and form that relates to the music.
Parang was on display at Imagemaker Art Prints until November 30.
Disclaimer: Bev Tang-Kong was an artist in the Parang exhibition at Imagemaker Art Prints.
A bit of festive dance at an art exhibit is perfect for the season. Imagemaker Art Prints in Port Credit recently showcased an art exhibit of paintings and photographs called Parang. The title of the exhibit comes from a type of folk music that originated out of Trinidad. Parang featured work from Bev Tang-Kong, Ian Grant, and Kenrick Ayow.
Bev Tang-Kong, artist, arts educator, and graduate of UTM’s art and art history program, uses her art to inform. Together with fellow artists from the Caribbean, the goal of this exhibit was to have a visual conversation that highlighted Parang, which first migrated to Toronto in 1969 by the Toronto branch of La Petite Musicale, a Caribbean musical institution founded by Olivia Walke.
Images within the Parang exhibit included musical instruments, church architecture, singing vocalists, and individuals celebrating.
Parang’s presence in Toronto has grown over the years. It is now an active component in Toronto’s Caribbean community. Each year, Parranderos, music merrymakers in Trinidad, perform Parang songs to audiences who are eager to shuffle their feet and keep the memory of their Spanish Creole folk culture alive.
The word Creole refers to an emigrant resettling into a dominant society. In this case, Spanish, Amerindian, and African migrants from Venezuela settled into Trinidad in the early years of its colonization, bringing with them their culture and merrymaking. The Parranderos travel from house to house as they share their music, something like caroling. The practice also exists to a smaller degree in other Caribbean islands.
Parang is more active at Christmas. Some traditional songs celebrate the birth of Christ and are fused with contemporary styles in true Trinidadian fashion of music, food, and dance. A Parang group consists of vocalists and musicians who play instruments such as ukulele, guitar, congas, maracas, violin, box bass, tock tock, and of late, the steelpan.
As The Medium readers read this article, Parang music events are happening across Toronto. Bev Tang-Kong hopes to exhibit another show in the future, referencing Parang with more colour and form that relates to the music.
Parang was on display at Imagemaker Art Prints until November 30.
Disclaimer: Bev Tang-Kong was an artist in the Parang exhibition at Imagemaker Art Prints.
