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A Book & A Dream: Gabriella Kinté & The First Library For Authors Of Color In MTL
Great Minds Think Great Thoughts!
A Place Where Authors Of Color Can Showcase Their Work Like Never Before!
Last week-end we were at the opening of Librairie Racines which was a defining moment for authors of color in Montreal (& possibly Canada too!)
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Gabriella Kinté (an alias that took a life of its own during the process) and her team have managed to put this initiative together but it wasn’t an easy ride.
Like everything else in life, everything started with a simple question : ”is there a way people of colour can be more represented for their art & and talent in Quebec?”.
The answer was as simple but in execution, little did she knew, it would alter her life forever.
she calmly said to the universe:
”Do It Yourself”
From that point on, a timeline of events occurred in the course of 2016-2017. She started by founding ”Tout Le Hood En Parle” that slowly but surely became a voice for the voiceless.
Tout Le Hood En Parle’s mission was to collect interviews from people of colour about their experience with racism. The testimonies were well received and the platform grew a serious fan base with thousands and thousands of monthly views.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROgkR6VKJEk[/embedyt]
As #THLP was gaining notoriety, Miss Kinté was working overnight to make this dream of hers come to life. Networking event there, radio interview here and fighting racism with the means she had; a camera and a good heart.
Cc: Gabriella’s facebook page
It was challenging, exhausting and sometimes painful but with the support of a good team and more from the community itself; everything is possible. Then came another question that would guide the rest of the journey:
”How To Make People Reconnect With Books?”
Cc: Giphy
I was already convinced that she was up to something but when she told me that the actual project would be a library promoting authors of color; I was sold.
Her and her team filled a void in terms of bringing awareness to the problem and now it was time to bring an actual solution. The name would be Librairie Racines and the rest would be history.
Now Kinté had to convince the artists to trust her. Convince her team to trust her and most of all convince herself that she could to this.
Momentum is everything in life. Tout Le Hood En Parle became the window that Librairie Racines needed to be stuck in people’s mind, especially authors of color.
Their team brought together community activations where they could plant the seed of this library to be.
A place where opinions wouldn’t be censored and color would be put on a pedestal. A place where authors of color could be valuable for their work.
Similar as #THLP, Racines positioned itself as a platform very inclusive. LGBT, Black, Haitian, African, Latino and everybody at large were all welcome. What really mattered was your message and how they could help you spread it.
From a question asked 12 months ago and now things were moving much faster. Gabriella found herself doing interviews for in major publications like Lapresse, Vice and now recently Montrealgotstyle.
Cc: Vice
Now that people knew about the goal a little more, it was time to show and prove. Choosing Montreal-North as a permanent location was a no-brainer for the young activist.
She wanted it to be exactly where people needed it the most. She took a leap of faith, rolled up her sleeves and went back to work.
Now with a solid support from the artistic community, the media and as the world was watching it happened, the foundations of this unique library were being constructed. 4689 Henri-Bourassa Boulevard will be the birth place of something great; it had to be.
She got various artists from the city covering the walls with their art. Even more authors providing their earliest work to help the project come to life.
Last Saturday (August 5th), we got to this place that was once just an idea and we couldn’t help but admire. Good vibes and conversations were in the almost solemn atmosphere . Live performances and book readings were here to keep this moment in our minds forever.
We had the pleasure to capture this moment
Watch Now
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbVG4g7VQpM[/embedyt]
Mission accomplished but yet this is probably just the start for young Kinté. One thing is for sure, whenever you ask yourself the right questions, you always end up with the right answers!
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This Year Malefycia Is Colliding Horror And The Bible To Make The Thrill Of Halloween Real Again
Malefycia Is Restoring The Feeling, One Spooky Scream At A Time
Long are the days when I was cruising down the streets on October 31st either looking for candies to devour for 3 weeks straight or even as an adult looking for a popping club where I could tell people ”My costume is ME tonight”.
The truth is, I think Malefycia restored something that I thought was buried inside me. They reminded me that not only I liked Halloween but I just couldn’t find an alternative in my adult life to spark my curiosity on one side and get the thrill going on the other.
Malefycia been around for a minute but this year they’re trying something different…I mean different.
You’re familiar with the 7 sins in the bible don’t you? You’re aware of what a haunted house is supposed to be don’t you? Well, something in their team had the genius and actually vicious idea to combine these two things who might have nothing to with each other on the outside looking in but in this new adventure/haunted house experience; it all make sense!
their show called V7CE is cross theatre performance, cross the most scary thing you’ve ever seen. The show includes different scenes and interactive plays putting on the forefront the 7 sins from the bible.
What always stand out to me when it comes to Malefycia, is there raw and authentic attention to details.
Do yourself a favor and come immerse yourself in this universe and your inner child and your thrill-seeking inner adult have some fun.
Myraï Lavoie Is Creating Her Own Universe And You’re Invited
What I appreciate the most about my work is the fact that I get to meet great minds & humans with a powerful story and this time around, I got to cross path with the talented Myraï Lavoie.
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The city has been quiet fashion wise over the years and as platform that mostly talked about fashion in its inception, we’ve felt it the most over here.
There would be sparks of hope here and there but besides Festival De Mode & Design, not a lot of things really stood out.
When I heard about ”The Glitch” it’s like I knew what it was about without nothing what it was about.
I mean good branding is good branding but it was more so who’s behind the good branding this time around. I had the chance to work with Myraï Lavoie in the past and one thing I can is : there’s a method to her madness.
Every artist has an eye and that eye is shaped by our views of the world and life experiences. Myraï had an interesting life.
One where being different is actually the move. One where if you don’t fit somewhere, you don’t try to get in the mold, you bend it.
For all the lack of support or misunderstand she got in Montreal, she found a place to be creative working or being in room with the likes of Paris Hilton & P. Diddy to name a few.
What she’s learned from coming out of her shell and experiencing the world she’s about the share it with us with her own fashion called ”The Glitch” tonight.
”The Glitch” is exactly what I thought it was going to be. A standout experience and experience and something you’ve never seen before just like its creator.
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The 50th Anniversary Of Les Grands Explorateurs Presents A Touching Documentary Exploring Africa And Its Wonders
An Amazing Story by Amazing Creators!
Les Grands Explorateurs Is Celebrating Africa In A Real Way!
Curiosity has to be the most incredible human quality there is and Les Grands Explorateurs has been putting it on the forefront for the past 50 years!
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We are now entering an era where we want to know more about what is going on on the other side of the world.
How people are living, their culture and what is their reality compared to ours.
Sometimes the depiction of such reality is either unfair or made to look down at somebody. Other times, filmmakers have the challenge to depict a reality in a way to uplift what other cultures are bringing to the table.
Milan Bihlmann and Muammer Yilmaz are two filmmakers who know where they stand when it comes to that.
”Rêves D’Afrique” is the epidemy of that. The two filmmakers decided to go to 7 countries in Africa to not only paint the picture for the world but to give the good people out there something we forget to give one another : ”a piece of yourself’.
Armed with a backpack, film gear and true altruism, the duo spread love and good deeds wherever they could throughout their trip.
Watch The Trailer
Les Grands Explorateurs being this platform to uncover the world made the right choice by adding this beautiful piece to their program.
Up until November 1st, you still have the chance to see the beautiful piece in theater and then online starting November 2nd.
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