Wake Up Winnipeg - Episode 88

Wake Up Winnipeg - Episode 88

Hosted Live/Produced/Recorded by: Andru Valpy, Natty Somers.

Air Date: 08/05/2011 6:00 PM on UMFM 101.5 FM
Free Podcast Download Location: iTunes.
Web: http://wakeupwinnipeg.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/wakeupwinnipeg 

Become a FaceBook Fan: http://facebook.com/wakeupwinnipeg
Rebroadcast: 08/10/2011 on CJUM 101.5 UMFM - 6:30 AM

This week we kicked off with the first edition of our two part Folklorama episodes.

As we mentioned on last weeks episode, Folklorama 2011 kicked off on July 31st with a total of 46 pavilions open throughout the two week event.  The event is expected to take in over 440,000 people this year with an estimated 20,000 volunteers working hard to promote their ethno-cultural heritage.

Originally started as a one time celebration for Manitoba's Centennial in 1970, Folklorama has quickly grown to become the largest festivals held in the summer months.

Since 1988, Foklorama has run with a 2 week format with half of the 46 pavilions running on the first week, and the others following suit the second week.

Pavilions are spread out throughout the city of Winnipeg with no central site for the festival. Most pavilions are held at community centers, curling rinks, school auditoriums and arenas.

To ensure guests can make the most of the festival, and minimize their commute, organizers typically plan pavilions to be close to one-another with some being held closely within walking distance.

Each pavilion is responsible for creating and organizing their own entertainment and menu items specifically showcasing the cultural or historical roots of their ethnicity.

With help from the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission (MLCC) some pavilions are able to bring in beverages from their native lands which would normally be found in Manitoba therefore encouraging curious connoisseurs to find their niche throughout the festival.

General admission for Folklorama is $6.00 per pavilion for adults, seniors and youths with tickets made available at the entrance to each pavilion. Children under 12 are free when accompanied by an adult up to a limit of 5 children per adult.

A creative way to take in Folklorama is one of the many VIP tour options that are available to those guests wishing to fill their Folklorama Passport.

General VIP World Tour packages are available for the price of $74.95 which includes admission to 3 pavilions, meals and beverages, pick-up and drop-off at a centralized location by means of Luxury motor-coach transportation, the opportunity to bypass line-ups and reserved table service with a great view of the world class entertainment Folklorama offers.

On our first week of Folklorama, Natty and I stopped off at the Africa pavilion located at Holy Cross Gym (290 Debuc Street).

Upon entering the pavilion we were greeted with a burst of energy as the emcee for the evening welcomed visitors to a flight across Africa.

While on our Safari we had the opportunity to watch a exhilarating forty five minute performance which took us from the northern half of the continent through the southern half by means of traditional African song, dance, and instrument.

Within minutes, the hand-drums of a band played and two female dancers who were gathering water in their hand-crafted baskets took to the stage.

The music motivated the two to begin celebrating their musical findings and they displayed their affection for the sounds of beats, their smiles truly reflecting their sincere happiness.

Moments later we were whisked away to another part of Africa, where we saw a traditional family dance which would normally be held at weddings, birthdays and other event celebration's.

With the entire audience's eyes on her a young girl (who we estimate to be between the ages of 2 to 3) lead a family of entertainers to the stage and the group began to demonstrate their talents with lively animated choreography, and while the adults seemed to attract some attention, the young girl captivated the hearts of the audience with her shimmies, shakes and circles.

When the music stopped, the crowed erupted with cheer, the group and the girl bowing humbly.

Guests in the audience was also asked to participate on multiple occasions throughout the performance, including a sing-a-long song at the beginning of the show hosted by The Guerrillas of Soul where they were taught male and female phrases to sing back when cued.

On the night we visited, the women outnumbered the men in terms of loudness and participation in the sing-along, but of course the audience was no competition to the soulful tones and vocals of The Guerrillas who by themselves are worth seeing again after Folklorama wraps up.
 
When the performances were over, Natty and I met with Akosua Bonsu who is the female youth Ambassador representing the African pavilion and talked to her about this years events.

When asked what it's like to be a Youth Ambassador during Folklorama, Akosua's eyes light up and a grin stretched from one side of her face to the other:

"It's a lot of work, but it's also a lot of fun! You get to meet so many different people and being so involved in your culture and being able to share that with everyone else is a very big thing about Folklorama" 

More of our interview with Akosua and our full review of the African pavilion may be found on our podcast in iTunes.

After exploring the African Pavilion I hopped on our imaginary plane and went off to the Spirit of The Ukraine pavilion. . . all without having to leave the city.

When I landed on the first performance on Thursday evening the pavilion was filled near capacity with a line up stretching out the door.

Those in line didn't seem to mind however as there was a musical duo performing up-beat Ukrainian music to keep the visitors entertained.

Winnipeg is home to quite possibly the largest Ukrainian population within Canada.

From what my history lessons of the city have taught me is that it is because of the Ukrainian's and European settlers that we owe a part of who we are today to to their impact on our cities uprising during the early 1900's. Because of that history, it would only make sense that the Spirit of The Ukraine pavilion seemed to draw large crowds.

It was evident that the hype surrounding the first year pavilion would make the line well worth waiting through.

Once I entered the pavilion we confirmed just that.

Even before the scheduled 6:45 stage show had started entertainers were on the stage and in the crowds dressed in traditional Ukrainian attire leading the audience in song and dance. Little did I realize just how much dancing would take place later on at the pavilion.

I should have dusted off my dancing Bast Shoes because if there was ever a time I would need them. . . it was there at the pavilion.

Before I could even think about dancing, I needed to satisfy a craving that I have only ever developed since moving to Winnipeg. . . traditional Ukrainian food.

I spoke with the head chef coordinator Carrol of Ludwick Catering and asked her for her thoughts on this years menu at the Spirit of The Ukraine pavilion. 

"As in any Ukrainian culture you have your Cabbage Rolls, your Pierogies, your Garlic Sausage, our home-made soups, the borscht, the Kapusnyak, the Kasha which is a Buckwheat, the Sauerkraut and a variety of desserts."

Carrol went on to say that most of the ingredients used in preparing the traditional dishes didn't have to travel far to make it to the menu.

"As many products as we could are Manitoba Grown, from the beats that we used for the Borscht, to the Cabbage it's all local Cabbage that's used, and also the Sauerkraut we actually process our own Sauerkraut from Manitoba Cabbage."

But perhaps what was most interesting to learn about the menu was just how freshly prepared each dish was,

"The processing of food is not started until actually two days prior to the beginning of the pavilion to have the freshness of the product. The Cabbage Rolls that we are using today were made yesterday and cooked this morning, as in the Pierogies as is in all of the soups. Some of the ingredients of the soup are of course made prior to, like the dicing of onions and the carrots and that kind of thing, but they are not put together or processed until the day that we're serving it". 

The flavors and freshness Carrol described in our interview were evident from the first bite. Given the opportunity, I would welcome a second visit just to explore the menu more in-depth just by itself.

I didn't dare ask about the desserts out of fear that my stomach may just burst. I was full off of the thoroughly delightful Ukrainian dinner.

Instead of trying the dessert, I found myself by the front of the stage as the opening entertainment began. Internationally known Ukrainian Canadian comedian Nestor Pistor took the the stage and sang a cover of kareoke classic Like a Winedstoned Plowboy. For some reason it seemed way more enjoyable than any other cover of Rhinestone Cowboy that you would hear on night out at the local karaoke club.

Perhaps it was his outgoing personality that made the pavilion welcoming. Or in this case, Вітаючи.

The audience seemed to enjoy his stage presence and laughed at all of his family friendly jokes and songs.

Having performed at such acts as The Grey Cup, and the Calgary Stampede, Nestor seemed to be quite comfortable in his Folklorama home as he played at the Spirit of The Ukraine Pavilion.

Some have said Nestor is far from traditional, but those in the audience described him as unforgettable and hysterical.  Smiles were seen on virtually every member of the audiences faces, at one point a visitor was seen wiping tears from her eyes.

The Spirit of The Ukraine pavilion would not have been complete without traditional Ukrainian music and dance performed by the world renowned Zoloto Ukrainian Dance Ensemble & Company.

I was told by assistant coordinator Scott Gordon that the "hooping and hollering" would begin in just a few minutes and that "I wouldn't want to miss it." 

Thankfully I got to the front of the stage just as the final 12 minute dance number was about to start.

The Zoloto troupe really knew how to move. While watching I could not quite fathom how anyone could jump, bend and move in the way the dancers were demonstrating. Flabbergasted, I found Scott and asked him to tell me a little more about what I was witnessing. It was a bit of a shock when I learned that some of the adult dancers on stage had been performing since the age of 3 years old.

It was during this conversation that I learned that the Winnipeg based dance company would be competing this year at the International Dance Competition where they hope to win Zoloto, the Ukrainian word for Gold. 

The moves were breath taking, energetic and astonishing. For a few moments, it felt as if I had left Winnipeg and was situated in a Ukrainian theater watching the performance from the comfort of my chair.

Just as quickly as the finale started, the dance was over and the hosts thanked us for our company and invited the audience back this weekend where the entertainment would be changing for the better.

I overheard someone in the crowd question out loud to a friend "It get's better than this?!"

He quickly made plans with his group of friends to come back on Friday.

While the crowd was filing out and finishing up their beverages, I gathered my gear and found Scott Gordon once again. After having seen the amazing performances and experiencing the true energy and spirit that The Ukraine brings to Winnipeg I had to learn a little more about how he felt about the success of the new pavilion.

"It's going really well! We just had a packed house, everyone was on their feet we got a standing ovation tonight, everyone was loving it. It was good.

It's been wonderful all week and we're just glad to carry it on throughout the weekend and get as many people as we can to get down here and enjoy."

But it wasn't easy to get to this point, in fact Gordon went on to tell me about just how much work went into putting up the Spirit of The Ukraine, and how it got it's origins.

"The Latvia Pavilion decided it could not continue this year at the last minute so we worked our butts off to get everything organized and planned and get approved. Once we were approved we were able to ,in a very short amount of time, get everything together ready in time for this week.

In the past, there's has been two (Ukrainian) Pavilions, just like there's been two Irish Pavilions, two Portuguese ones, My personal feeling is that there's so much to any one culture to explore that there's no way you can limit it to one week. You want to have as much time, as much opportunity to express and celebrate culture as you can. Any time there is enough people and organizational skills to put two pavilions on I think it should happen.

We've got  some great applause, everyone's been on their feet, everyone has been saying wonderful things about the food and the dancers.

Friday and Saturday night, we're lucky to have The Kalyna a Ukrainian band who does not only wonderful traditional music but plays some more modern stuff to a wonderful crowd."

I thanked Scott for his time and packed up my suitcase and left to return to Winnipeg on the evening flight.

This weekend wraps up the first week of the 2011 Folklorama Pavilion and the start of the "Late Night Party" Pavilions. More information and scheduling may be found online at http://folklorama.ca

Natty and I are looking forward to visiting more pavilions throughout the next seven days including several new pavilions that are coming to the 2011 festival.

As discussed on today's show, we'll be visiting the late night parties at the Brazilian Carnival pavilion at the Winnipeg Convention Centre, and the Caribbean Pavilion at the Centre Culturel Franco-Manitobain.

Be sure to join us next week for part 2 of our Folklorama Coverage where Natty and I will report back on our journey's with you our listeners and report back as to some of our festival highlights.

For instant Folklorama feeds, be sure to follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/wakeupwinnipeg or visit us on Facebook at http://facebook.com/WakeupWinnipeg.

Additional photographs and our 2011 Folkorama video montage will be posted on our Facebook Fan Page and Twitter accounts soon.

More information about our show, and instructions on where to download this weeks episode of Wake Up Winnipeg in iTunes, may be found on our website at http://wakeupwinnipeg.com/.

Thank you to all of the volunteers and organizers who have helped out with Week 1 of Folklorama. We look forward to seeing some of you next year, and the rest of you next week.

Until then,

-Av