October 7: Indigenous Peoples and Culture

Source: https://www.culturalsurvival.org/issues

According to the International Labour Organization, there are approximately 476.6 million Indigenous people in the world, belonging to 5,000 different groups, in 90 countries worldwide. Indigenous people live in every region of the world, but about 70 percent live in Asia and the Pacific, followed by 16.3 percent in Africa, 11.5 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean, 1.6 percent in Northern America, and 0.1 percent in Europe and Central Asia.

• Indigenous People usually have (or had) their own language, cultures, and traditions influenced by living relationships with their ancestral homelands. Today, Indigenous people speak some 4,000 languages.
• Indigenous People have distinctive cultural traditions that are still practiced.
• Indigenous People have (or had) their own land and territory, to which they are tied in myriad ways.
• Indigenous People self-identify as Indigenous.

‘Indigenous peoples’ is a collective name for the original peoples of North America and their descendants. Often, ‘Aboriginal peoples’ is also used.

The Canadian Constitution recognizes three groups of Aboriginal peoples: Indians (more commonly referred to as First Nations), Inuit and Métis. These are three distinct peoples with unique histories, languages, cultural practices and spiritual beliefs.

More than 1.67 million people in Canada identify themselves as an Aboriginal person, according to the 2016 Census. Aboriginal peoples are:

• the fastest growing population in Canada – grew by 42.5% between 2006 and 2016
• the youngest population in Canada – about 44% were under the age of 25 in 2016

This short film is featuring British Columbia’s First Nations Alex and Daniel Wells. Member of Lil’wat First Nation, this film was made as a showreel to demonstrate their skills as professional dancers. Alex Wells is x3 times world champion hoop dancer. Jenice Wells, Daniel’s wife, is also performing Women’s traditional dancing. They perform Fancy, Traditional and Hoop dancing all around the world.

The different styles of music from various aboriginal cultures of Canada.

Well before hip-hops fads like the dab and twerking were even a thing – pow-wow dancers have been rocking the beat for hundreds of years. Traditional men’s pow-wow dancers are doing more than shaking their tail feather, they’re telling a story through their movements and the regalia they wear. The story is usually of a hunt, a battle or a certain victory.

The Halluci Nation formerly know as A Tribe Called Red

The Halluci Nation, formerly known as A Tribe Called Red, is a Canadian electronic music group who blend instrumental hip hop, reggae, moombahton and dubstep-influenced dance music with elements of First Nations Music particularly vocal chanting and drumming. Based in Ottawa, Ontario, the group consists of Tim “2oolman” Hill (Mohawk, of the Six Nations of the Grand River), and Ehren “Bear Witness” Thomas (of the Cayuga First Nation).

Funny vid time

October 5th: Justin Trudeau

Justin Trudeau

• He is the son of the late Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
• In 2015 he followed in his father’s footsteps by winning the election to be Canada’s next Prime Minister.

Who is Justin Trudeau?

• He spent his early years in the spotlight being the son of Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
• After college he went to work as a teacher for several years before deciding to enter politics.
• In 2008 he was elected to Canadian Parliament.
• In 2013 Justin became the leader of the Liberal party.
• In 2015 Justin and the Liberal party enjoyed victory and Justin became the country’s second youngest Prime Minister.

Early Life and Career

• Justin was born on December 25, 1971, in Ottawa, Canada.
• He is the oldest son of Pierre Trudeau and his wife Margaret.
• His early years were spent as a family at 24 Sussex Dr. This was the Prime Minister’s residence in Ottawa.

• American president Richard Nixon predicted Justin’s future during a Canadian state dinner with Pierre Trudeau when he said, “I’d like to toast to the future Prime Minister of Canada: To Justin Pierre Trudeau.” This was only a few months after his birth.
• Unfortunately, Justin’s parents separated in 1977 and after their divorce was finalized in 1984 Pierre moved to Montréal with Justin and his younger brothers Alexandre (or otherwise known as) Sacha and Michel.
• Justin went to the same school as his father. It was a Jesuit run College called Jean-De-Brebeuf.
• He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in literature in 1994 at McGill University.

• Fun facts about Justin: during his time in university, he had some interesting jobs. Some of them were a nightclub bouncer in British Columbia, a snowboard and white-water rafting instructor, a radio host and a math teacher.
• In 1998 Justin got a degree in Education at the University of British Columbia.
• Unfortunately, that same year his brother Michel died and an avalanche.
• Because of this devastating loss he decided to become involved in promoting avalanche safety.
• In 2000 Justin delivered the eulogy at his father’s nationally televised funeral service.

• Everyone was impressed by his speaking abilities. He was known as a very eloquent speaker. He denied any suggestion that he might enter politics.
• He decided to go back to Montréal and become the chair of the board of Katimavik, a youth program created by his father Pierre.
• He also travelled across the country speaking to youth about volunteerism.

Canadian Politician

• Justin tried to avoid the political arena until 2006 when he began chairing the Liberal party’s task force on youth renewal.
• In 2008 Justin won a seat in Parliament representing Montréal’s Papineau District.
• Justin appeared as legendary soldier Talbot Papineau in the historical TV movie called the Great War in 2007.

in 2012 Justin showed off his boxing skills when he defeated conservative Sen. Patrick Brazeau in a charity boxing match

• in 2013 Trudeau became the Liberal party’s leader.

Prime Minister

• in October 2015 Trudeau and the Liberal party made history by jumping from 36 seats to a Parliament majority of 184 seats. This was the largest jump in Canada’s history.
• Justin was the second youngest person to become Prime Minister of Canada at 43 years old. Joe Clark who was Prime Minister a day before his 40^th birthday in 1979 was the youngest.
• He also was the first verified Prime Minister with non-European roots.
• In November 2015 Justin was in the news again when he appointed half of his cabinet positions to women. This was to honour a campaign promise of having a gender balanced cabinet. He was asked about this and said, “because it’s 2015”.

Oil Pipeline Controversy

• In November 2016 environmentalists, political allies and indigenous groups rallied against his approving to expand the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain project. This was a pipeline that allows oilsands from Alberta to be transferred to a port in British Columbia. They said this would cause harm to the environment and climate.

Relationship with US President Trump

• Justin clashed with Donald Trump in 2016 when he attempted to create a travel ban the following year that looked like it was targeting Muslim majority countries.
• In 2018 Justin disagreed with Trump when it was announced that the White House was imposing stiff tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.
• Justin and the French president Emmanuel Macron both highly disagreed with Trump which caused Trump to leave the June G-7 Summit early.
• After Trump left Justin told reporters that Canada would launch retaliatory tariffs on July 1 he said, “I have made it very clear to the President that this is not something we relished doing, but it is something that we absolutely will do because Canadians, were polite, were reasonable, but we also will not be pushed around.”

Alleged Prosecution Interference

• in 2019 Justin found himself in more controversy. This was because former justice minister and Atty. Gen. Jody Wilson Raybould resigned in February because there were claims of government interference in an important case.
• The Montréal-based engineering firm SNC Lavalin faced criminal charges for funneling money to the family of a former Libya dictator.
• She testified that she was pressured by the Prime Minister and senior members of his government so that they could avoid a trial and negotiate a settlement.
• After a second cabinet member resigned because they were protesting this decision in March Trudeau held a news conference.
• He said it’s important to advocate for a major employment provider but also to respect the rule of the law.

Brown face photo

• More trouble came for Justin in September 2019 when time magazine published a photo of him when he was 18 years old with a brown face.
• The photo was from his days as a teacher At West Point Grey Academy when he dressed up as a character from Aladdin for the schools’ Arabian nights themed dinner.
• Justin spoke about it and said it was a dumb thing to do and sincerely apologized.

Nova Scotia Mass Shooting and Assault Weapons Ban

• on April 18 and 19^th 2020 a man went on a shooting spree in homes and setting fires across several Nova Scotia communities.
• As a result, Justin responded by announcing a ban on 1500 makes and models of military grade assault style weapons on May 1, 2020.
• Although the ban was effective immediately, Trudeau said that the gun owners would have 2 years to comply with rule.

Personal Life

• Justin Trudeau married Canadian TV and radio host Sophie Gregoire in 2005.
• They have three children Xavier, Ella Grace and Hadrien.
• He published his memoir called Common Ground in 2014.
• In the book he shared his experiences as the son of a prime minister.

The pandemic hit close to home in 2020 when Justin’s wife tested positive for the coronavirus.

And now a song from another Justin T:

September 30: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Canada set to mark 1st National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Here’s what’s happening

Eddy Robinson is an educator on Indigenous issues. In this web series called “First Things First,” Robinson explains why asking “How Can I Help?” is not the right question.

Chief Robert Joseph shares his experience as a residential school survivor and the importance of truth and reconciliation in Canada.

When learning about residential schools, it is best to hear stories from the survivors themselves and to remember the children lost to this violence. The Legacy of Hope Foundation has recorded interviews with survivors, giving them a platform to share their stories.

Here are some pieces from Roy Dick’s interview. Roy was born in Ross River and attended Lower Post Residential School when he was six years old. The entire recording can be found here: https://legacyofhope.ca/wherearethechildren/stories/dick-2/

This is Roy Dick’s story:

The first day there was a bus going around at the village…They gathered all the young people, all the kids were on it from Upper Liard…They took us down to the school, down to Lower Post.

When we came into the school I remember us all lining up. It was boys on one side and girls on the other side. I was scared. I didn’t know why I was going there. I didn’t know I was going to school. I remembered seeing my sisters on the other side in the line. I tried to go over to them but they told me I had to stay on one side and not to approach my sisters. I couldn’t figure out why that was happening. I remember them putting us into the dorms and taking all of our things away, like our clothes and stuff that we went to school with, and giving us some other clothes to wear. Each of us was given a number. My number was 198. I still remember that. After they gave us a number they took us to the showers and we had to take a shower. They started cutting our hair and putting some powder in our hair. I guess it was delousing.

They had a chapel in there. We had to pray. At that time I knew about the Creator, but in their ways it was different. Everybody was talking about hell and I didn’t even know what was hell, and the devil and all this, and that we were heathens and all this.

I still had all my culture and I talked my language fluently. I remember talking to my older brother. I was talking to him in my language and he got mad at me. I was thinking, what’s all this anger about talking my own language. He said, “If they ever hear you talking like that, those people there, you are really going to get punished.” I remember speaking it a few times. And yeah, I did get punished. I got physically abused for that.

First I was physically abused. The second year when I was down there at the school, I started getting sexually abused from this guy named George Mazinsky (a supervisor at the school). I was about 8 years old at that time.

I started using alcohol somewhere around sixteen or seventeen because I thought I was no good, just to hide everything, all that pain and shame. I didn’t know how to talk my language. I lost that.

They really brainwash us in that school. I thought my parents were beneath me because they didn’t know how to speak English and it was all wrong. From there I turned to alcohol and started drinking. I drank. Oh man, I hid everything for about thirty years. I never told anybody about getting abused in school, sexually abused. I kept my pain to myself. I was suicidal. I don’t know how many times I tried to take my life.

In 1999, after thirty years of drinking…I put everything away behind me and I started on my healing journey.

The worst part of it is making us feel dirty about who we are, and that really hurts, and the way I felt towards my parents when I came back.

But once you start taking somebody’s else identity, it’s bad. It’s genocide.

The only thing I want to share now is in the years ahead, my future generation, all I have to say is be proud of who you are. Don’t let anybody take away that pride and that strength that you have in you.

Residential Schools in Canada: A Timeline

The Stranger- Gord Downie

“The Stranger” is the first full chapter and song of The Secret Path. Adapted from Gord Downie’s album and Jeff Lemire’s graphic novel, The Secret Path chronicles the heartbreaking story of Chanie Wenjack’s residential school experience and subsequent death as he escapes and attempts to walk 600 km home to his family.

September 28, 2021: Justine Hines

• Justin is a singer-songwriter who was born in Newmarket Ontario.
• He has a rare genetic joint condition called Larsen’s Syndrome.
• He uses a power wheelchair and is a very determined person. He does not let anything stand in his way when it comes to following his dream.
• He is a strong supporter of a lot of charities by doing a lot of fundraising events.
• He founded the Justin Hines Foundation which is the charitable foundation for people with disabilities.

Larsen’s Syndrome

• it is a rare genetic disorder that has a variety of different symptoms.
• Some of the symptoms include dislocating of the large joints, skeletal malformations and very distinctive facial and features.
• It was discovered in 1950 by Larsen and Associates when they noticed symptoms in 6 of their patients.

Life and Career

• from a very early age Justin was completely obsessed with music. He would spend hours listening to his father’s jukebox and sang to chosen songs constantly.
• At the age of 14 he won a radio contest against hundreds of people.
• He won and was chosen to sing at a Toronto Raptors game.
• His career began to grow when he was a teenager. He began performing on YTV and Treehouse TV.
• He created Tomato Hat and the video was included on the 1997 children’s program Ants in Your Pants.

• His first album was called Sides. He worked with a producer named Justin Abedin.
• When describing his work on this album Justin says, “I made a conscious effort to abandon any trends, I just wanted to do something that was very honest. I wanted to just be Justin, whatever that was.”

his second album was called Chasing Silver

• it was released on June 2, 2009.
• The song Say What You Will became the number one singer-songwriter track within 48 hours of releasing it online.
• The video was also an instant success and became one of the favourite and most emailed videos on MSN and Simpatico.

in 2009 he had the chance to sing on a television commercial for tourism Ontario. He sang the song called There’s No Place like This to describe Canada.

• on March 4, 2010 Justin was part of the first ever Canadian Paralympic Torch Relay.
• In 2013 he released the album How We Fly

• in 2013 he also began his Vehicle of Change tour with two stars from the musical Hamilton. They travelled across North America and partnered with charities in each city.
• They donated 100% of the ticket sales back to a charity within the city they were in.
• He performed a few times At People in Motion in Toronto.
• In 2014 Justin was made a member of the Order of Ontario.
• He was given this honour for being a gifted singer and songwriter who has performed across the globe using his success to raise millions of dollars through the Justin Hines Foundation for dozens of charities throughout the world.

• Justin has been able to entertain audiences from China to the Middle East. He has toured through Canada and the United States.
• He got to play at the 2008/2009 Clifton Hill New Year’s Eve party in Niagara Falls Canada. He played alongside Kim Mitchell and Supertramp lead singer Roger Hodgson.

A surprise for Justin:

Justin at the MTN Awards in Johannesburg South Africa

September 21: John Legend

• he is well-known for his popular albums called Get Lifted and Love in the Future.

Who is John Legend?

• John Legend is a musician and songwriter. He has worked with artists such as Alicia Keys, Janet Jackson and Kanye West.
• His album Get Lifted was made in 2004 and it won 3 Grammy awards.

• John Legend also appeared on the TV show called Duets as a coach.
• In 2014 he shared an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award and a Grammy Award with the well-known rapper Common for their song called Glory from the movie Selma.

he also received an Emmy Award for his performance in 2018 in the musical Jesus Christ superstar Live in Concert.

Early Life and Career

• John Legend was born on December 28, 1978, in Springfield Ohio. His real name is John Roger Stevens.
• His grandmother taught him how to play the piano and he grew up singing his church choir.
• He attended the University of Pennsylvania and directed a coed a capella group.
• After he graduated, he worked for a Boston consulting group but also continued to perform in nightclubs in New York City.
• He eventually was introduced to Kanye West and the two of them work together on each other’s demo records.

Career and Breakthrough

• in 2004 the album Get Lifted went platinum because of the hit single called Ordinary People. He originally wrote it for the group called the Black-Eyed Peas.
• He received three Grammy awards for the album: best R&B album, best R&B male vocal performance and best new artist.

• in 2006 alone he was asked to perform at Super Bowl XL in Detroit, the NBA All-Star game and the Major League Baseball All-Star game in Pittsburgh.
• In 2008 John released the album called Evolver which featured the song called Green Light. He worked on this song with Andre 3000. This album was able to reach the top of the R&B/ Hip-Hop charts.
• In 2008 John also starred in a supporting role in the comedy movie called Soul Men which starred Bernie Mac and Samuel L. Jackson.

Wake up and Duets

• in 2010 John released the album called Wake Up! He recorded the album with the band called The Roots.
• One of the songs called Hard Times was written by Curtis Mayfield. John wrote another song for the album called Shine which earned Him a Grammy award.
• In 2011 John and The Roots won a Grammy award for the best R&B album for this album.
• One of the songs called Hard Times was written by Curtis Mayfield. John wrote another song for the album called Shine which earned Him a Grammy award.
• In 2011 John and The Roots won a Grammy award for the best R&B album for this album.

• in 2012 John decided to try out reality television. He worked with Kelly Clarkson, Robin Thicke and Jennifer Nettles and they performed and coached contestants on the show called Duets.

All of Me and Glory

• in 2013 John released his next solo album called Love in the Future which contained his number 1 ballad called All of Me.

• in 2015 John and the rapper Common won a Golden Globe for best original song for Glory from the movie Selma.
• The movie also won a Grammy and an Academy award and both artists used their Oscar acceptance speeches to shine a light on contemporary issues that were connected to the Civil Rights Movement.
• In December 2016 he released his 5th solo album called Darkness and Light which featured collaborations with Miguel and Chance the Rapper.

Jesus Christ Superstar and EGOT

• in 2018 John starred in NBC’s production of Jesus Christ superstar live in concert as Jesus during his final days. It aired on Easter Sunday. It also included stars like Alice Cooper and Sarah Bareilles.
• On September 9, 2018, John made history as the youngest person ever and the first African American man to join the EGOT club. (EGOT stands for Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards.)
• In 2020 John was planning to go on tour. But with the pandemic he decided to contribute to Lady Gaga’s massive One World: Together At Home Benefit Concert before getting together with Jennifer Hudson for an excellent rendition of Beauty and The Beast for the Disney family sing-along volume 2.

• in late summer of 2018, it was announced that John would be joining the cast of The Voice and he still is on the show.
• In the fall of 2018 John was able to assist his contestant to go on to win the voice for season 16.

Bigger Love

• Was released on June 19, 2020
• John was quoted saying this about the album
• during these painful times, some of us may wonder if it’s okay to laugh for dance or be romantic. Lately the images of black people in the media have been showing us with knees on our neck and in mourning or expressing our collective outrage. We feel all these emotions. But it it’s important for us to continue to show the world that fullness of what it is to be black and human. Through our art, we are able to do that. This album is a celebration of love, joy, sensuality, hope and resilience, the things that make our culture so beautiful and influential.

Personal Life and Wife

• John is involved in a lot of social and charitable causes. One of the most important ones to him is being in support of the Harlem Village Academies, a New York City organization that runs several charter schools. He serves as a Vice Chairman on the HVA board.
• He said, “I came from a city where 40% to 50% of our kids drop out of high school. I did well in high school and then went on to an Ivy League school, but I was the exception. We need to do more to make sure every kid has a quality education.”
• He continued his commitment by lending his song Shine to the 2010 documentary called Waiting for Superman. This film takes a critical look at the public school system.
• John and his wife Chrissy Teigen got married in September 2013 in Italy. On April 14, 2016, they welcomed their first child named Luna Simone. On May 16, 2018, they announced they had another baby named Miles Theodore Stevens.
• Unfortunately, in September 2020 the couple lost their third child a son they named Jack after pregnancy complications

Now for a video request:

Sept 16: Ice breakers, Family Feud, Funny vids, oh my!

Would you rather

1. Would you rather have the ability to see 10 minutes into the future or 150 years into the future?

2. Would you rather have telekinesis (the ability to move things with your mind) or telepathy (the ability to read minds)?

3. Would you rather team up with Wonder Woman or Captain Marvel?

4. Would you rather be forced to sing along or dance to every single song you hear?

5. Would you rather find true love today or win the lottery next year?

6. Would you rather be in jail for five years or be in a coma for a decade?

7. Would you rather be royalty 1,000 years ago or an average person today?

8. Would you rather be chronically under-dressed or overdressed?

9. Would you rather have everyone you know be able to read your thoughts or for everyone you know to have access to your Internet history?

10. Would you rather lose your sight or your memories?

11. Would you rather have universal respect or unlimited power?

12. Would you rather give up air conditioning and heating for the rest of your life or give up the Internet for the rest of your life?

13. Would you rather swim in a pool full of Nutella or a pool full of maple syrup?

14. Would you rather labor under a hot sun or extreme cold?

15. Would you rather stay in during a snow day or build a fort?

16. Would you rather buy 10 things you don’t need every time you go shopping or always forget the one thing that you need when you go to the store?

17. Would you rather never be able to go out during the day or never be able to go out at night?

18. Would you rather have a personal maid or a personal chef?

19. Would you rather be 11 feet tall or nine inches tall?

20. Would you rather be an extra in an Oscar-winning movie or the lead in a box office bomb?

21. Would you rather never eat watermelon ever again or be forced to eat watermelon with every meal?

Guess it “Family Feud”

Let’s play an online game of Family Feud together! You can also click the link below to play on your own time with your family!

https://zone.msn.com/gameplayer/gameplayerHTML.aspx?game=guessit&instance=default

Time for a funny video!

Welcome back CEC Class! – Fall 2021

Today, we will be discussing some questions that Bobbi has sent out ahead of time! We will review each of your individual answers together. The questions are:

What was your favorite activity you participated in during the summer and why?

What is something interesting that you learned over the summer?

Two Truths and a Lie

Each participant was asked to provide two truthful things about themselves as well as one lie. Let’s find out how well you know your classmates!

Irene:

• I like music
• I use a manual wheelchair
• I went to Sunnyview school

Kerr:

• I  don’t like listening to the radio when I am in the van going to the cottage
• I like to watch documentaries
• I I enjoy the yearly spaghetti-sauce making event that happens at the cottage

Bobbi:

• I have three nephews that I love very much
• I love dolphins and sloths
• I went to high school in Toronto

Carolyn:

• I bike on stationary bike
• I like going out for walks
• I like salad

Gabriel:

• I have one sibling
• I have a pet dog
• One of my favourite movies is Alvin and the Chipmunks

Christine:

• I have 2 nieces and 1 nephew
• I love taking walks in the park
• I am married

Jessica:

• I just moved to Pickering a few months ago
• I have a diabetic dog
• I was away from work for a year because I had a baby

Fun Facts

Can you guess which fun fact belongs to who?

1. I had my picture in The Toronto Star when I was five.
2. I enjoyed going to my neighborhood with my dad.  One day, my dad and I chatted with my neighbor outside her front yard, and she was feeding her pet rabbit with carrots at her lawn. It was fun.
3. When I was younger I went to all backstreet boys concerts in Toronto.
4. I enjoy nature – feeding the birds, listening to them sing –  watching them out the window.  hearing how excited my dog gets when a squirrel is at the window.
5. I got to meet my favorite musical personality after a concert. He came up the stairs to see me and told me my name before I even told him because he has a letter that I wrote to him at home.
6. When I was young, I got a surprise birthday shout out on Breakfast Television and I was so upset because I did not like the attention.
7. I have always wanted to have babies of my own.

And now for a funny video…

July 29th: Last class before break!

1. What are the names of all 3 Jonas brothers?

a) James, Kevin and Joe

b) Kevin, Joe and Tom

c) Nick, Kevin and Joe

Now – name them from youngest to oldest!

2. Where is Adele from?

a) Glasgow, Scotland

b) London, England

c) Dublin, Ireland

3. How does Adele decide on her album names?

a) her age

b) the number of songs she’s written for the album

c) how many cats she owns

4. For what superhero movie did Prince compose the soundtrack?

a) Superman

b) Batman

c) Black Widow

5. Which musician was born in Windsor, Ontario?

a) Demi Lovato

b) Prince

c) Shania Twain

6. What musical did Olivia Newton-John star in?

a) Hairspray

b) Grease

c) Fame

7. What is Lady Gaga’s given name?

a) Francesca

b) Gabriela

c) Stefani

8. What is Madonna’s background?

a) Italian

b) Polish

c) Greek

9. What is the name of Elvis’ estate in Memphis Tennessee?

a) Esapeland

b) Neverland

c) Graceland

10. Where is Jennifer Lopez from?

a) L.A.

b) The Bronx

c) Brooklyn

11. Is it true that Lady Gaga, The Jonas Brothers, and J. Lo have all performed half time shows at the superbowl?

12. True or False: The Backstreet Boys and Justin Bieber were the most requested musicians to cover in class.

13. True or False: The Backstreet Boys and N*SYNC have the same number of members in the band.

Tokyo Olympics 2020!

Our first gold medalist, Maggie Mac Neil!

The Tokyo Paralympic Games will begin on August 24th and end on September 5th!

Paralmypic Team Canada: https://paralympic.ca/team-canada

Now for some laughs!

July 27th: Michael Buble

Who Is Michael Bublé?

• Michael is a Grammy winning singer from Canada who is inspired by Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra.
• Michael is a classic jazz and soul singer who also looks up to Stevie wonder and Ella Fitzgerald.
• When he was 17, he entered and one the British Columbia youth talent search. It helped to launch his career.
• Since then, he has several number 1 songs and albums and has won several awards.

Early Life

• he was born Michael Stephen Bublé on September 9, 1975, in Burnaby British Columbia.
• His father Lewis was often out at sea which left his mother Amber and grandfather Demetrio Santanga to take care of Michael and his two younger sisters Crystal and Brandee.

• It was because of his grandfather’s huge record collection Michael gained his passion for classic jazz and soul music. 
• He decided that he wanted to follow in his favourite artists footsteps. He said, “I wanted to be a singer and I knew that this was the music that I wanted to say.”
• His grandfather encouraged him to enter a local talent contest. He won the contest however the organizer Beverley Delich found out that he was only 17. She disqualified him because you could only enter the contest if you were 18.
• She was so impressed by his talent that she suggested that he entered the British Columbia Youth Talent Search instead. 

Aspiring Singer

• Beverley wanted to encourage Michael’s success by helping him record his first independent CD.
• His grandfather decided to offer free plumbing services for anyone who could provide career opportunities to Michael.
• It was because of all this encouragement Michael became a regular at several local music venues.
• In 1996 Michael got a role portraying Elvis in the Vancouver musical Red Rock Diner. Michael worked with a fellow dancer named Debbie Timuss.
• In 1998 the couple moved to Toronto to perform a musical production called Forever Swing.

Big Break

• Michael’s first real big break came when he was performing at a party for Michael McSweeney. McSweeney was former advisor to the Canadian Prime Minister.
• He was so impressed with his performance that he started to circulate his independent album around to people he knew.
• The album eventually got into the hands of Brian Mulroney and his wife. In 2000 he was invited by the Mulroney’s to sing at their daughter’s wedding.
• He sang a rendition of Kurt Weill’s song called Mack the Knife.

• at the wedding Michael was introduced to David Foster. David was a Grammy-winning producer and Warner Bros. music executive at the time.
• He signed Michael to the 143 Record Label and they began work on Michael’s first major label release.
• Michael said “the last thing we wanted to do was a tribute album or a lounge act. We wanted to treat this music with the love and respect it deserves, but the important thing was to capture spirit and energy and that wasn’t confined to any particular musical era.”

International Star

• in 2003 Michael’s first major album was released. 
• It was self-titled and was a worldwide success. It was number 1 in Australia and went multiplatinum in many other countries. It reached the top 10 in the UK and in Canada.
• The album was able to show Michael’s many talents especially his ability to add a pop style to old classics such as Fever, Moon Dance and How Can You Mend a Broken Heart.

Michael ended 2003 with the Christmas album called Let It Snow.

• In 2004 Michael achieved international music success when he won Best new capitalize that Talent at Canada’s Juno Awards.
• In 2005 this third album called It’s Time was even more successful than his debut album. It sold over 5 million copies worldwide and was on the Billboard Jazz charts for 2 years!

• The single called Home was written for his longtime love Timuss and was a favourite of his fans.
• She was featured in the video and also sang backup vocals for the song.
• The song was number one in more than 10 countries and was the most played song on Canadian radio in 2005.

Continued Success

• Later in 2005 Michael’s split with his wife because of rumours regarding infidelity. Rumours went around that Michael started a relationship with British actress Emily Blunt. Michael admitted later that he had no idea who she was and that he thought she was a television producer.
• Michael’s album Call Me Irresponsible was released in 2007. It debuted at number 3 on the Canadian record charts.

• He got his first Grammy when from this album. He won the award for the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.
• The songs called Lost and Everything helped him reach worldwide success by selling more than 18 million albums by the summer of July 2008.

Everything: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPUJIbXN0WY

In December 2008 Michael decided to branch out into the world of sports. He became a minority owner of the ice hockey team the Vancouver Giants.

• He also worked On a special musical arrangement for an episode of the American sitcom called 30 Rock.
• In October 2009 Michael released Crazy Love and then he released a six-song album called Special Delivery in 2010 and Christmas an album That featured a duet with Shania Twain.
• In 2013 he released the album To Be loved. This is a mix of popular songs and even included a duet with actress Reese Witherspoon.

Personal Life

• Michael ended his relationship with Emily Blunt in 2008 and began seeing Argentine actress Luisana Lopiloto.
• He wrote the song Haven’t Met You Yet for her and she also appeared in the video.

haven’t met you yet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AJmKkU5POA

• The couple married on March 31, 2011 in Buenos Aires. Their son Noah was born on August 27, 2013 in Vancouver Canada.
• On January 22, 2016 they welcomed another son Elias the family.
• In June 2015 Noah got burned in a minor accident at the couple’s home in Argentina. He was treated and released from hospital.
• In 2016 Noah was diagnosed with liver cancer. His treatment went very well. It went so well that Michael decided he was able to return to the stage to do a concert in Dublin Ireland in early July 2018.

• Later that month Michael confirmed that his wife had given birth to their third child a daughter Vida Amber Betty Bublé.

For those interested in watching…

July 22nd: Jennifer Lopez

Early Life

Jennifer Lopez, also known as J.Lo, (born July 24, 1969, in Bronx, New York), is an American actress and musician who began appearing in films in the late 1980s and quickly became one of the highest-paid Latina actresses in the history of Hollywood. She later found crossover success in the music industry with a series of pop albums.

Lopez, who was born into a family of Puerto Rican descent, took dance lessons throughout her childhood and from an early age had aspirations of fame. She performed internationally in stage musicals, and at age 16 she made her film debut with a small role in My Little Girl (1986).

Acting & Dance Career

Lopez began her career as a dancer, appearing in stage musicals and various music videos. In 1990, she won a national competition and earned a spot dancing on the popular Fox comedy television series In Living Color as one of the “Fly Girls.” A series of small acting jobs followed, including parts in two more series and a TV movie, Nurses on the Line: The Crash of Flight 7, in 1993. 

Lopez’s first feature film was the critically acclaimed Mi Familia, or My Family, in 1995. She also appeared in Money Train (1995), and in Jack (1996).

Lopez’s first big break came in 1997 when she was chosen to play the title role in Selena, a biopic of the Tejano pop singer Selena Quintillana-Perez, who was killed by a fan in 1995. Lopez earned widespread praise for her performance, including a Golden Globe nomination. That same year, Lopez starred in the movies Anaconda and in Blood and Wine. Her role as federal marshal Karen Sisco in Out of Sight, a film based on the Elmore Leonard novel and co-starring George Clooney, further enhanced her image as a bankable movie star.

Music Career

Lopez’s musical career also began to take off, as she released her debut Latin pop album, On the 6, in June 1999. The album, fueled by the success of her hit single, “If You Had My Love,” went platinum within two weeks, making Lopez one of the most influential examples of the growing Latin cultural influence in pop music.

The popularity of the multi-talented Lopez reached new heights in early 2001, when her album J. Lo debuted at No. 1 on the pop charts, which included the hit song “Love Don’t Cost a Thing,” while her film, the romantic comedy The Wedding Planner, shot to the top spot at the box office in its first week of release.

In December 2002, she delivered another one-two punch with the release of the record This Is Me … Then and a starring role in the comedy Maid in Manhattan, which was a box office hit, if not a critical one. 

Jenny from the Block was a major hit on her album; This Is Me…Then!

Personal Life

Lopez gave birth to twins on February 22, 2008. The baby boy and girl, named Maximilian and Emme, were the first children for Lopez, and the fourth and fifth for Marc Anthony, her then husband.

In July 2011, Lopez and Marc Anthony announced their plans to separate. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Lopez didn’t reveal the cause of the breakup, but said, “I loved myself enough to walk away.” With a new hit song out, the superstar refused to be deterred. “I am positive, determined to move forward with my life, bring up my babies, and do the best job I can as a mother, entertainer and person.”

Later Career

A year after her divorce, she came out with the hit song Dance Again, which peaked at number 1 on the charts.

J. Lo came out with several other hit songs, including collaborations with other performers, such as Pitbull. “On the Floor” was a major success in 2011:

American Idol

J. Lo joined the judge panel on American Idol in 2010, replacing Ellen DeGeneres.

Lopez began her residency at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas in 2016.

Also in 2016, J. Lo became an executive producer on NBC’s show, World of Dance. This was a dance competition show with a prize of $1 million.

Then, in 2020, J. Lo performed at the Superbowl halftime show, joining forces with Shakira.

Tokyo Olympics 2020

Start on Friday, July 23rd!

Here is the Team Canada page: https://olympic.ca/games/2020-tokyo/