1. If those Betty Davis reissues make you want to see
a funk and soul queen in the flesh, Saidah Baba Talibah is
your diva. The local rising star’s Saturday-night show (Feb. 6) will kick off Harbourfront’s Black History Month festival Kuumba, which is mostly free, and all worth
checking out. Free. 8:30pm. See www.harbourfrontcentre.com for the complete schedule.
2. Also at Kuumba: a special edition of Harboufront's weekly Saturday DJ Skate Nights, where longtime DJs and soul-loving
gentlemen Carl Allen and Kwame Young offer three hours of funk, reggae,
disco, house, soca and classics. Both men have
deep music collections and the ability to play to any crowd, which
comes in handy when courting an all-ages audience. 8-11pm. Free.
3. The men behind Solid Garage bring DJ/producer and Grammy
award-winning master at work Louie Vega back to town, who’s touring in
support of Ananésworld, the sophomore album by Vega’s wife
Anané. Raised in Cape Verde, Anané is a singer-songwriter, producer and
DJ who was tapped to be a part of Vega’s Elements of Life Collective
soon after she moved to New York. Since then, Anané’s talents have
taken her to high profile stages around the world. On Saturday night (Feb. 6), she’ll both DJ
and perform live. With DJs Groove Institute, Curtis Smith, Jason Palma, Johnny Lopez and Jeff Graham. Percussion by Chico Pacheco. Revival (783 College). $20 from http://ananesworldalbumtour.eventbrite.com/.
4. Inspired by Compulsive Beauty by Hal Foster and One Place After Another
by Miwon Kwon, Natalie Castellino’s photos — on view now in a new exhibit titled I Think This Is For You… — focus on the subject of
miscommunication and the changes and shifts in events that can happen
because of misunderstandings. It's open this weekend (Feb. 6 & 7), noon-5pm, and then next
Wednesday (Feb. 10) to Sunday (Feb. 14), noon-5pm, at Launch Projects, 404 Adelaide W. 416-364-2475. www.launchprojects.wordpress.com.
5. This weekend's must-see movie: J’ai tué ma mere (I Killed My Mother). Montreal upstart Xavier Dolan’s feature debut — made before the child-actor-turned-auteur turned 20 — has attracted much hype since it became a Cannes sensation. The story of Hubert (Dolan), a gay adolescent who’s desperate to escape the clutches of his mother Chantal (Anne Dorval) yet can only define himself in opposition to her, the film is roughhewn and flawed. But it’s also bold, brave and energetic. Check our showtimes for a screening near you.
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