RICHARDS

On first listen, his voice left me mesmerized. From the time that I met this young man, I was impressed with his magnetic stage presence that draws people in from the moment he steps into the spotlight. With his pretty boy good looks, cornrowed locks, and piercing eyes, our Classic Man exudes both charisma and charm.

To be completely honest, outside of his looks, it’s his voice that truly sets him apart. Rich and velvety, his vocal range spans from soulful lows to soaring highs, allowing him to effortlessly convey a wide range of emotions through his music. His voice has an emotional depth that resonates with listeners on a profound level.

Our Classic Man has a natural flair for storytelling through his songs, and his heartfelt lyrics reflect his personal experiences and struggles. This authenticity shines through in every performance, as he bares his soul in his recordings, connecting with his audience on an intimate level. His passion for music is evident in every note he sings, and his infectious energy spreads like wildfire, leaving listeners captivated by his artistry.

With song like “Avenue Road,” “On Girl,” “Why,” and “In You” Kareem Richards (Aka, Don Richie), is bringing dancehall music back to the people. In speaking with him, he was clear about his endeavor to preserve and celebrate this vibrant genre. Celebrating dancehall reggae music is a wonderful way to pay homage to the vibrant and influential genre that has captured the hearts of people worldwide. Dancehall reggae originated in Jamaica in the late 1970s and has since evolved into a global phenomenon, spreading its infectious rhythms and lyrics across various cultures.

Some critics argue that modern dancehall music often contains explicit or offensive lyrics, glorifying violence, substance abuse, and objectifying women. This can lead to concerns about the impact on young listeners and society as a whole. Dancehall music has faced criticism for promoting homophobic attitudes and lyrics that incite violence against the LGBTQ+ community. Some fans of reggae music, which is closely related to dancehall, feel that modern dancehall has deviated too far from its roots and that it has lost the conscious and socially conscious elements that reggae traditionally carried.

Kareem is working on changing the negative narratives, and he is doing this with a tool that is unique to him, his voice. I had a chance to catch up with Kareem, and his story initially threw me for a loop…

“I was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. Both of my parents are from Jamaica, and they raised me as a Jamaican. My parents are very proud Jamaicans, and everything from music, food, language was instilled in me. I completed all of my education here, and my brother came here when he was sixteen, so I parred (slang for hang out with) with him, which is the reason for my strong accent.”

“Honestly,” I replied. “If you didn’t tell me that you were from Canada, I would have sworn you just jumped off the boat yesterday. Your accent is very strong.”

“Well, my grandmother lived in Little Jamaica, and my grandmother from my mother’s side lived with us, so the language was around me from birth.” “Tell me a little about your earlier years.”

“There was always music in my home. My parents did a great job of keeping me in extracurricular activities. My first sport was martial arts, then basketball, then soccer until I was in my 20’s.

In middle school, there was a talent show. For that show I performed a hip hop song, and it was very well received. I did it once and never looked back again. Instead, I focused on my training in sports, but when I touched university, my friend suggested heading back down the music path. My friend always told me that music was my thing, but I was surrounded by soccer especially because my dad was a soccer coach.”

With time, Kareem saw that music was just his God given gift.

“It was dancehall and reggae that called me. I was in a group called Island Connects, and then I decided to go solo. I love R&B, dancehall, and reggae, so I fused them. My parents are very supportive; they know that they raised me well, so when I decided on music, they just expected excellence. My mom appreciates my music, and my dad sees me as a selecta (DJ). When he hears my songs on the radio, he shares his pride. One person that I have to give it to is my older brother who has supported me from inception. He actually manages me right now.

“What would you say is your musical niche Kareem, and how has breaking into the Canadian music industry been for you?”

“I am a dancehall fusion act, and this made it difficult for me to get bookings; they thought that I would be going on with slackness. That is not me; I am looking at international success, global music, music that can be played anywhere. All I needed was a chance, and that has been difficult.

It has also been challenging getting the right people’s attention. There seems to be a barrier in Toronto when it comes to dancehall; Toronto is not just hip-hop, and to me, it is really not a Toronto thing, it is more of a New York thing. It is almost as if you don’t sound like a Yankee, they don’t want to run you.

Most of my support is in the UK; I used my social media to reach the masses: Spotify, Soundcloud, other promotions. Jamaica has also supported me; they have shown me a lot of love; they rate me.”

“Where do you see yourself in the next five years Kareem? Let’s manifest this for you. Put it out there.”

“Simone, you know what; I see myself at the Grammy’s. I expect to be in movies, acting. I am multi-talented and have a lot to offer the entertainment industry. I work hard every day. I was humbly, happy when you decided that you wanted to feature me. This will allow me to share my joy of music, and my desire to bring dancehall back to where it needs to be.”

Kareem is a true artist, and his dedication to his craft is evident in the way he effortlessly produces incredible music. With a dedicated fan base that spans the globe, Kareem is well on his way to becoming a household name in the music industry. Despite his rising fame, he remains down-to-earth and approachable, never forgetting the humble beginnings that shaped him as an artist. With each new song, Kareem continues to push the boundaries of his art, evolving and growing as a musician, ensuring that his unique voice will resonate for years to come.

Written by Simone J. Smith Toronto Caribbean News

Our staff is familiar with the diverse traditions of the customers we serve. Let us help ensure that your unique preferences are accommodated. Talk to us today and we’ll explain all your funeral options and help you through your immediate or pre-arrangement needs.

SIMONE

TC

It all started in 1912 when a widowed mother of four started selling Shea Butter, African Black Soap and her homemade hair and skin preparations all over the countryside. At the age of 19, Sofi Tucker began her entrepreneurial experience, uncertain of what was to come, but with a determination that to this day is admired by anyone who knows of her legacy.

She became known as a healer who shared the power of shea and African Black Soap, and years later handed down her recipes to grandson Richelieu Dennis, who founded SheaMoisture and incorporated her wisdom into the brand’s hair and skin care innovations.

We now know SheaMoisture as a premier luxury hair and skin care line with a range of natural hair care products designed to tame curls, restore hydration levels, improve hair texture and leave hair looking and feeling healthy.

Some of their bestselling products include the SheaMoisture Coconut and Hibiscus to enhance curls, Raw Shea Butter to add essential moisture into dry and dehydrated hair, Jamaican Black Castor Oil to strengthen the hair and restore its natural state, and Superfruit Complex 10 to help restore color vibrancy and protect sensitized hair. Each of these products are infused with a blend of active botanicals and natural ingredients including shea butter, coconut oil, mango seed butter and silk proteins. It also has a range of bath and body products designed for soothing, hydrating, illuminating and energizing the skin.

In honor of Sofi Tucker (Grandmother of SheaMoisture) and in support of her entrepreneurial legacy, SheaMoisture Canada continues its dedicated support to help empower Black communities across Canada.

In 2021, SheaMoisture launched the Salon Relief Fund to help female business owners survive the challenging tides brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic exacerbated the significant wealth gap between black people and white people in Canada, a phenomenon not unique to Canada but observed in many other countries. The wealth gap is a result of historical and systemic factors that have contributed to economic disparities among different racial and ethnic groups.

Canada, like many other countries, has a history of systemic racism, including policies and practices that have disadvantaged black communities. Discrimination in areas such as housing, employment, entrepreneurship and education, which has limited opportunities for wealth accumulation for black Canadians for generations. Unequal access to quality education has hindered economic mobility and limited career prospects for black Canadians, further exacerbating the wealth gap.

With an impressive $10,000 grant, generous salon gift baskets and educational workshops, SheaMoisture’s newest initiative Dream Fund is providing Black femaleowned businesses with the tools, workshops, financial aid, and visibility they need to thrive.

I had the opportunity to sit down and talk to Maureen Kitheka - Brand Lead for SheaMoisture. Speaking with her gave me some fantastic insight on the power of this initiative, and how impactful it has been even though it is only in its second year.

“We have existed for four years in Canada. What was clear was that despite the fact that America and Canada are different, our intentions remain the same; we want to serve the underserved community. One of our main questions was, how do we elevate our communities through wealth creation?

It is about building generational wealth. It is figuring out in our business model, how every sale we make will be invested into the community. This is how the brand is being launched into other markets.

When we talked to Black entrepreneurs, they provided insightful feedback that we were able to use to craft a program that was targeted to smaller businesses. In 2022, we launched the Dream Fund. There was a lot of research that was put into this initiative, and we said that if we are going to do it, we have to do it and talk about it, not just to build the brand, but for the community to know.

We want to expand the program, not just give them grants to walk away, but provide coaching for six months. One thing that was important to us was getting the community involved, and we did this by having them help pick the winners. We put together a panel of eight Black entrepreneurs and we had them help decide from our 300 hundred applicants.

I want to note that we are proud of the fact that last year we only had 60 applicants. We wanted to engage more entrepreneurs, so we put paid media behind it, we used social media, all because we wanted people to be aware. It was about getting the word out. We asked the community to vote via social media. It was about having the community speak. The community owns this decision; they picked the winners.

The beautiful thing about entrepreneurship is resilience. When someone starts a business, it is their bread and butter. When we were picking our winners, we looked beyond what is obvious, and focused on what the businesses were thinking about the community. We did some investigation, research to see how community oriented they were.

Winners last year were asked to choose from a series of workshops; because they had to choose, we can’t tell how much value it added. What is clear to us this year is that it is not a monolith. There are different aspects of business that the entrepreneurs want to dive into, so we are going to tailor the winner’s packages to their needs.

Once we announce the winners, we celebrate them, learn their business needs and by September 15th, we can start their personalized sessions.”

I am happy to announce that we have the names of the winners:

IncluSV Beauty Solutions

IncluSV Beauty Solutions is a Black owned Beauty Supply and Natural Hair Services store located in Windsor, Ontario since August 2020. It is a one stop shop with a variety of products, stylists, and barbers.

Their mission is to provide a transformative experience for women, men, and children by empowering them to embrace natural hair styles. They are dedicated to breaking down barriers and normalizing natural hairstyles as professional choices. By celebrating the beauty of diverse hair textures and promoting inclusivity, they strive to redefine beauty standards and create a world where everyone can feel proud and empowered in their natural hair.

RÓUN Beauty

RÓUN Beauty is an early-stage bio-cleantech company that is creating Canada’s first plantbased braiding hair extensions for Black and afro textured-hair women.

Established in January 2023, RÓUN Beauty was born out of a frustration with the hidden costs of synthetic braiding hair, scalp irritation from exposure to harsh chemicals and plastic waste as these products end up in landfill after use.

Currently in the final stages of product development, RÓUN Beauty is on a mission to provide women with the gift they deserve; biodegradable and nontoxic hair extensions that help them look great, increase comfort and eliminate environmental harm.

Hello Hair

There comes a time in every girl’s life when they inherit the responsibility of washing, detangling and styling their own hair. Without the correct education, tools and resources, this transition can be painful, and a hit to one’s self-esteem.

Hello Hair, a children’s consumer brand, is on a mission to rewrite the Black hair experience and support the next generation through visual representation, education and showcasing the importance of self-love through hair care and self-acceptance.

Gyallivant

Gyallivant’s mission is to provide innovative services, products, and events, and transformative spaces where Black women can play, explore, and embrace their wellness journeys through entertainment, recreation, and therapy in a holistic and culturally relevant way. They are dedicated to empowering Black women and offering them a comprehensive platform for growth and self-discovery. Their transformative spaces serve as safe havens, fostering mental, emotional, and physical well-being. With a blend of entertainment, recreation, and therapy, we strive to encourage holistic healing. Their community celebrates the diversity and richness of Black heritage, creating a space that thrives on positivity, empowerment, and personal transformation.

Arbre

Arbre is a sustainable sun care brand on a mission to develop innovative and inclusive sun protection products. Their debut product, Spruce, is a tinted powder dry shampoo with SPF 20. It’s specifically formulated to provide optimal sun protection to the scalp without making your hair greasy. It contains reef-safe ingredients and comes in recyclable and sustainable packaging.

Their goal is to develop sunscreen products that will work for everybody, by creating a range of sun protection products. Arbre is also focused on raising awareness for the importance of wearing sunscreen in preventing skin cancer.

Winston Churchill said, “The only statistics you can trust are those you falsified yourself.” Unreliable statistics make it hard to know how many people die each year due to medication errors. How many more are taking harmful drug combinations or the wrong doses? The numbers are elusive because medical professionals don’t want to showcase errors and consumers may not realize their mistakes. Yet, errors happen many ways and at different points.

It’s like the telephone game where people take turns whispering a message into the ear of the next person in line. When the last person speaks the message out loud, it has changed along the way. It’s a game that teaches how important details get altered when passed from person to person. The same is true as medication moves through production, packaging, labelling, dispensing, and use. It’s no game, and mistakes happen.

Doctors, nurses, and pharmacists are stretched thin. It used to be dangerous when handwritten notes in patient files were illegible. Now errors can occur from a typo. A shift change by nurses elevates risk. Some medical tragedies from mixed up medications are impossible to miss. Heart-breaking cases of infants administered the wrong medication are more common than you might imagine. So are situations where an elderly patient dies after being given the wrong drug or the wrong dose.

Accepting that “to err is human,” most hospitals, pharmacies, and care homes have layers upon layers of seemingly fool proof protocols, protections, and checks. Still, when people get tired, stretched, or sloppy, the best safety measures are not enough.

Consumers at home frequently call medication mistakes into poison control centres. What are the common crises? Husbands have taken their wives pills. People take their medication twice. Parents can’t tell how much medication they’ve succeeded in getting down the throat of a screaming child. Hundreds of thousands of these situations occur every year.

Labelling and dosage instructions can be confusing, and the print too small to read. Common abbreviations are among the causes of some errors. Micrograms (µg) can be mistaken for milligrams (mg) leading to an overdose. The Latin abbreviation for every day (Q.D.) can be confused with the short form for every other day (Q.O.D.)

It’s challenging enough when dealing with only one medication. When multiple medications are used it gets more complicated. How many readers engage in “polypharmacy”? It can refer to getting medications from more than one pharmacy or using more than one medication to treat a single problem. Most commonly, polypharmacy refers to the use of five or more medications at the same time.

This is not the time for complacency. You are not being rude by asking questions. You should ask for clarification until you understand completely. Take all your medications with you – or an accurate list of them with the doses you are using – to every visit with a healthcare practitioner. Use only one pharmacy. Communicate any effects of changes in medications. Dispose of old medication correctly.

If you or someone you know struggles to manage the timing and dosages of medications, reach out for assistance. A recent survey found that over two-thirds of low-income individuals taking medications daily are not taking them properly. They tend not to tell their doctor or they don’t have someone available to answer their questions. We can do better to help.

The safest way to avoid medication errors is comparatively easy. Do everything you can to avoid getting sick. It was Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, who said, “The greatest medicine of all is teaching people how not to need it.”

What we love is killing us: EMF exposure and its dangers

TRISHA SMITH trishas@carib101.com

SAKRED SYNERGI

In our modern society, we are surrounded by a vast array of electronic devices that make our lives more convenient. However, along with the benefits of these technologies comes the concern of electromagnetic fields (EMF) and their potential impact on our health.

EMF is a form of energy emitted by electrical and electronic devices, and while they are generally considered safe at low levels, prolonged and excessive exposure to EMF pose more risks than we realize. This article will delve into the dangers of EMF, ways we are ex-posed to it, and finally tangible ways we can protect ourselves during this advanced age of technology that we’re living in.

Understanding the dangers of EMF

Electromagnetic fields are categorized into two main types: ionizing and nonionizing. Ioniz-ing EMF, such as X-rays and gamma rays, have enough energy to remove tightly bound electrons from atoms, potentially causing cellular damage and increasing the risk of cancer. However, non-ionizing EMF, which is produced by most electronic devices we encounter daily, is generally considered less harmful but still dangerous all the same.

Studies have shown that prolonged exposure to non-ionizing EMF from sources like cell phones, Wi-Fi routers, and power lines could lead to various health concerns. These include headaches, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and even potential long-term risks like increased cancer rates, hormonal disruptions and even reproductive issues.

This of course won’t happen overnight, but think about all the children who sit on their beds with chrome books on their laps? The toddlers we give our cell phones to, to watch YouTube while we drive, or the TV we set them down in front of everyday so we can cook dinner in peace. As the decades pass,