Brian Cherwick has been playing music for 50 years. Here are some of the highlights
Brian Cherwick has worn many hats throughout his life. He's a folklore professor, has taught music, and can play almost any style of music. He's setting out to revisit his 50 years worth of songs for a special show with The Kubasonics.
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CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Chinese pop music's 'deeply local' Canadian story shines in Vancouver exhibition
A new exhibition on Cantopop and Mandopop music in Vancouver is a Canadian story, says curator Melissa Karmen Lee. The Dream Factory exhibit, which opened on May 28 at the Chinese Canadian Museum, pays tribute to the golden age of Chinese pop music "through the lens of Chinese Canadian identity, migration and memory." Its stories are anything but foreign, said Lee, who is also the museum's chief executive. "It is a deeply local story about how many of these Cantopop stars [and] Mandopop stars made Vancouver their home. They lived here, they worked here, they grew up here," she said. "They all deeply considered Canada a part of their identity, and we're so pleased to feature that in this exhibition." Cantopop and Mandopop refer to Chinese-language pop music in the two most widely spoken tongues in the community, Cantonese and Mandarin. The exhibit, running through May 2026, features a collection of music from the genres between 1980 and 2000, when stars such as Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui wowed fans globally. But Lee said many outside the community didn't realize that such giant stars were living among them in Canada. Lee pointed out that Cheung — a singer and actor who became known to Western audiences by starring in movies including Farewell My Concubine and Happy Together — lived in Vancouver in the early 1990s. A park bench that honours Cheung in the city's Stanley Park is a pilgrimage site for fans of the star, who died by suicide in 2003. Lee said singer and actress Sally Yeh grew up in Victoria before reaching stardom. The Cantopop and Mandopop genres are intrinsically connected to Canada's large Chinese communities, especially in neighbourhoods in Metro Vancouver and Toronto where their songs were ubiquitous at Chinese malls, restaurants and karaoke bars. Vancouver native Stephanie Kong, who designed a wedding dress at the exhibit that was inspired by Mui's 2003 farewell performance, said Cantopop music saturated many of her childhood memories. "Growing up here in Canada, that was definitely a part of my childhood," Kong said. "Going to Parker Place [a mall in Richmond, B.C.] and waiting while my parents were in those music stores buying LaserDiscs, and I would be like, 'What's taking so long?' "Because I didn't quite understand it … So it's funny that it comes kind of full circle, coming as an adult and getting a new appreciation for what I've always kind of — for the lack of a better word — just dismissed when I was a kid." In addition to costumes inspired by Cantopop and Mandopop in the exhibition's main room, there's a large screen blaring hit songs, a separate room featuring artwork using LaserDiscs, a stage set up for karaoke and listening stations for popular songs. On one wall, original sheet music for famous Cantonese movies from Hong Kong composer Joseph Koo are displayed. Koo lived in Richmond before his death in 2023. 'A preservation of culture' Lee said Cantopop culture seeped deep into many parts of Canada. She said Cheung's 1986 song Monica was anecdotally regarded as responsible for a large number of Chinese Canadian girls bearing the name. "They listened to Cantopop in Vancouver, in Toronto," Lee said of immigrant waves to Canada. "They made this very Asian music part of this global Chinese diaspora community. "So, part of the popularity of Cantopop and Mandopop across the globe was because of these overseas Chinese communities that made it really great. "Immigrants that came in the '60s and the '70s, they brought over their own culture and … made it a uniquely Canadian experience. And so, it's a preservation of culture, but it's also an evolution of something that is Asian into Asian Canadian."
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
‘They're ready': Edmonton Oilers fans full of hope heading into Stanley Cup rematch
Edmonton Oilers super fan Warren Sillanpaa has turned his front yard into a shrine to the team in Edmonton, on Friday May 30, 2025. The Edmonton Oilers will be taking on the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Finals. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson Edmonton Oilers fans are once again living the dream, but hopes are high that this year comes without the nightmare ending. The Oilers completed a backdoor sweep of the Dallas Stars on Thursday -- losing the first game of the series then winning four in a row -- to punch their second straight ticket to the Stanley Cup final. Standing between the Oilers and glory are the Florida Panthers, who came out on top against the Oilers last year to win their first Cup in team history. 'I'm not nervous at all,' Oilers fan Nikolina Maljevic said outside the Oilers' home arena of Rogers Place in downtown Edmonton Friday afternoon. 'I think they're ready for this.' Arena staff were seen bustling about to make sure Edmonton's Ice District surrounding the rink was also ready for the rematch. The fan park was getting a power wash while racks of T-shirts and other merchandise were being loaded into the official team store, though restocking efforts were interrupted by fans, including Maljevic, stocking up. 'I got some amazing stuff,' Maljevic said, showing off two jackets from the brand owned by the wife of Oilers captain Connor McDavid, as well as a team T-shirt she got for her father. While Game 1 on Wednesday will surely see a sell-out crowd in Edmonton, thousands more will flood the area outside the rink, dubbed the 'Moss Pit' out of respect for the late and beloved team equipment assistant Joey Moss. Maljevic said her family's game-day traditions mean she'll be cheering on from home. 'My family's a bit superstitious,' she said, adding that no new faces are allowed inside so as not to throw off the winning formula of family watching together. Maljevic isn't the only Edmontonian whose home is intertwined with feelings and memories of the local team, but they all pale in comparison to the home of Warren Sillanpaa. Sillanpaa's downtown home is protected by a hand-painted fence depicting the jerseys of Oilers stars and fan favourites from McDavid to Corey Perry. His yard also sports a row of Oilers flags, near life-sized aluminum cutouts of McDavid and Leon Draisaitl that make it look like they're hopping over the boards for a shift, and a hand-made oil derrick that he can light with a torch. Warren Sillanpaa Oilers fan hockey Warren Sillanpaa shows his support for his favourite team after decorating his house in Edmonton on Thursday June 20, 2024. The Edmonton Oilers take on the Florida Panthers in game 6 of the NHL Stanley Cup finals on Friday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson There's also a sign that reads 'Honk if you want the cup,' which Sillanpaa said doubles as an alarm clock. 'I got up the other morning and it's like 6:45 a.m. I'm just laying up there, and the windows open, (and I'm wondering if I) should I get up or not,' he said. 'I just hear this guy walk by saying 'Let's go Oilers!' and 15 minutes later someone honked, (so I was up).' Like Maljevic, Sillanpaa said he too had nothing but confidence Edmonton will bring home the Cup. 'Everybody seems to be on the same page with everything,' he said. The graphic designer's home isn't the only sign of Oilers life in Edmonton ahead of the Stanley Cup final. Transit bus destination signs shift back and forth between displaying their route and tickers that say 'Let's Go Oilers!' while it's no unusual sight to see cars and trucks drive by with plastic Oilers flags flapping in the wind. Community organizations, and local governments, are also pulling out all the stops. Performers with the Edmonton-based Ukrainian Shumka Dancers have gone viral for taking their skills to new stages, and in new costumes. Donning Oilers jerseys, members of the company's professional squad have been attending watch parties downtown and, after every goal from the home team, orchestrate an elaborate manoeuvre where a dancer is thrown back and forth by a team of 10. It's similar to a windshield wiper in action and speed. 'They made the Stanley Cup final, and you can expect that throw to keep flying,' said the company's rehearsal director, Paul Olijnyk. Final fever is also spreading outside the city limits. Municipal leaders in the Edmonton suburb city of St. Albert held what could only be described as an emergency council meeting on Monday to unanimously sign off on spending up to $70,000 to host watch parties for the final. For roughly $10,000 per game, the city is renting a projector and speakers and inviting fans to pull up a chair in the local rec centre parking lot on game nights. Coun. Sheena Hughes, a budget watchdog, said the city shouldn't have to spend as much as they think. 'They're going to win in six games.' --Jack Farrell This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2025.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Have an old phone that needs recycling? This weekend's event will help you for free.
A local high school is hosting an Electronics Drive this weekend. Vincent Massey Secondary School is hosting the drive on Saturday, May 31 from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. Residents in the community who are looking to get rid of old devices such as computers, printers, old phones, among other devices, can bring them to the school to be properly recycled. 053125_recycling drive windsor Vincent Massey Secondary School is hosting an Electronics Drive on Saturday, May 31 from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. May 2025.(Photo Credit: Melanie Rousseau) Massey Green - the school's environmental club - is leading the event. Melanie Rousseau, a Physics Teacher at Vincent Massey, says a range of items can be donated. 'Anything that has those electronic components like computers, TV's, cellphones, also batteries, modems, routers, printers. So anything that you would use for your desktop let's say.' She says it's important to properly dispose of e-waste. 'If you throw a cellphone into the garbage, a computer into your garbage pail, all of these things contain chemicals that can then leach into the soil, into the water, and potentially contaiminate it. So we're talking heavy metals like kadmium, chromium, lead, and so on.' Rousseau says the items can be dropped off at the back of the school. 'We're going to have some students on Liberty Street and Norfolk to direct traffic. So if you pull up with your car, students are there to help you take out whether it's a TV, or an old computer, game consoles, whatever it is, we will be here.' Approximately 40 students will be helping throughout the Electronics Drive. Vincent Masse is located at 1800 Liberty Street in south Windsor. - by Meagan Delaurier, Dustin Coffman / AM800
