The Third Annual Asian Heritage Month Festival, May 1-31, 1996
A multidisciplinary festival featuring cutting-edge Asian Canadian artists
Various Toronto venues, (416) 598-7993

Ballet Creole, The Rebirth of the Big Drum Dance, May 9-11, 1996
duMaurier Theatre Centre at Harbourfront Centre,
Info: (416) 973-4000

The Lee Pui Ming Ensemble, May 14, 1996
Music Gallery, (416) 204-1080

Cassandra Wilson, May 15, 1996
All ages.
Bathurst Street Theatre, (416) 870-8000

The Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band, May 21, 1996
Music Gallery, (416) 204-1080

Elvis Costello, May 25, 1996
RPM, (416) 869-1006

Hugh Masakela, May 28, 1996
Phoenix, (416) 323-1251

Sugar Minott and Dhalia, June 1, 1996
El Mocambo, (416) 598-3115

Legends of Motown, June 7, 1996
featuring the Temptations, the Spinners, and the Marvellettes
Molson Amphitheatre, (416) 870-8000

In Nobody's Shadow, June 6,1996
A Gala Fashion and Entertainment Show
celebrating the excellence and creativity
of female entrepreneurs.
7p.m., Ryerson Theatre,
43 Gerrard St. E,
TicketMaster (870-8000) or 593-6932.




Burning Spear and the Burning Band, July 7, 1996
The Warehouse, (416) 870-8000

Cypress Hill, August 11, 1996
with the Fugees, D'Angelo, Ziggy Marley, Spearhead, and Bass Is Base
Kingswood, (905) 832-8131 or (416) 870-8000

Harry Belafonte, October 11, 1996
Roy Thomson Hall, (416) 872-4255

Al Green, November 22, 1996
Roy Thomson Hall, (416) 872-4255

The 1996 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
The 27th year of one of the world's most important musical and cultural event. Begun in 1970.

The Hip Hop culture is often mistaken for a bunch of slang talkin', weed smokin', gun packin', lunatics, without a sane bone in there bodies. People who don't understand what is behind the music, form stereotypes of what the Hip Hop community is, and ignorance breeds from there. They don't understand what the music is about, which is, life, past experiences, and moving forward without looking back.

Life, is what songs of every type of music are normally about. Hip Hop lyrics are often about how the person lives in their neighbourhood. Things that happen day to day, minute to minute. There are songs about not knowing what will happen today, which is a common fear among everyone. Some of it is oppression by politicians, and other groups of people, keeping the person down with no escape from their grasps. Then again some artists focus on the positive aspects of life like, love, fun, and sex for example. Songs like "All I need" by Method Man, which speaks about love and faithfulness for a particular woman, or "Ice Cream" by Chef Raekwon which is about women and sex.

Alot of the time, artists talk about past experiences, bad and good. They sometimes write about sad experiences, deaths in particular. All artists who grow up in the 'hood, seem to be always surrounded in death and crime, drowning in pools of blood from old acquaintances. Past experiences might also include things such as, when the person was hangin' with his boys, sippin' a forty ounce and watching a Kung-fu movie. Experience is what teaches people. Through voicing these experiences the listener can learn from the artist.

Occasionally artists talk about the future. Their own future in particular. Some of them show optimism, and look forward to a positive future. While others can only see a very short future and a shortened life span. A song may be about how the artist just got out of jail and have learned from their mistake, now they are going to move on with their life and live it to the fullest. Sometimes they talk about living out the rest of their lives in luxury, with a nice house, a nice car, a nice wife/husband. The future is where everyone is headed, so you might as well know where you're going.

The essence of Hip Hop is not about killing, robbing, etc. It's about life. That's the bottom line. To an outsider, Hip Hop is as misunderstood as Graffiti. They can't understand the slang so they think it's trash. They can't understand the art, so it's nothing but a mess. People who think this way should seek some help from someone who does understand it. Hip Hop is here to stay so it's time to clear up the misconceptions before it gets ugly.