Wednesday, July 15, 1992 - North Shore News - 25

ragon boats, polka dots and Mbaqanga Jive

THE STAPLE Singers Cleo, Yvonne and Mavis at ‘he o

tival.

UNE 19 was busy.

Began with the open-

ing ceremonies of the
Dragon Boat Festival at the
Plaza of Nations.

While North Van producer
Walter Daroshin filmed the pro-
ceedings for the CBC, the 10 in-
ternational teams (there were 80
local teams) filed in. The emcee,
entertainer Leon Bibb, welcomed
the dignitaries, which included
Vancouver Maycr Gordon
Campbell, Lieutenant-Governor
David Lam, the Ching Chung
Taoist Church’s worldwide abbott
Po-Woon Hau, and businessman
Milton Wong, Canadian chairman

-of the Internationa! Dragon Boat
Festival.

Louise Aird
BRIGHT LIGHTS

ly on the water, then threw in rice
as a sacrifice. Today it’s all high-
tech and they've done away with
the sacrifices, but it’s still exciting.
How’d we do?
In the men’s international divi-
sion, Jakarta nosed out Van-

PATRIARCH POPS Staple with the jazz festival’s John Orysik.

(There was one stunning gaffe —
and | hope it was a mistake. Bibb
carefully introduced everyone on
the stage, except Burnaby-
Kingsway MP Svend Robinson.
Then, Campbell got up and read a
letter from our MP, Mary Collins,
which expressed her reerets and
best wishes, and he could have
welcomed Robinson but didn’t.
Robinson had to have been furious
or embarrassed, but he gracefully
appeared not to notice.)

After the Paddle of Peace cere-
mony and the singing of our na-
tional anthem, led by the B.C.
Hydro Choir, the games were
declared open,

Dragon boat racing began in
China in 4 BC when poet Qu
Yuan hurled himself into the river
in political protest (what a cen-
cept!). Beatmen were too late to
save him and, fearing he'd fati vic-
tim to evil spirits, paddled furious-

couver’s team (which included
North Van's David Freeze, Gene
Harry and Bart Gould) for the
win,

But in the women’s, both the in-
ternational and local teams won,
with the help of muscle power
provided by Christina Graham,
Nathalie Mainvilie and Stephanie
Edwards of North Van, and West
Van's Jenny Taylors and Anne
Marie Nehring.

kkk

Next up, the Staple Singers and
the opening reception of the du
Maurier Jazz Festival at the Queen
Elizabeth Theatre (we purposely
missed John Hammond — | have
enough irouble staying awake in
theatres as it is).

After the concert, people were
divided. Half were transported to
heights of ecstasy hy seeing their

pening reception of the du Maurier Jazz Fes-

idols. The other half weren't so
sure.

The Staples were good but lead
singer Mavis only completed two
songs — their biggest hits Respect
Yourselfand Ill Take You There.
Otherwise, she stuck with the
gospel thing and talked a !ot.
Made me feel great, though — for
once, | was too young to be
nostalgic.

Chatted with Pops and Cleo
Staple after the party — very nice
people. Cleo said she couldn't
believe how Vancouver has
changed since they were here last.
So } asked when that was. “Uh,
27 years agol’’

North Van's Ed Maling hosted
about 200 people post-concert.
Maling, du Maurier’s affable
tegional sales director, knows how
to throw a party — there were.
piles of seafood, mounds of fruit
and rafts of pastries everywhere
and multiple bars kept everyone's
thirst quenched.

From the reception, a bit of local
news ... North Van‘s Robert
Abernethy, a Jazzmanian Devils
singer, has started his own R&B
band, the 10-piece Memphis Slax.

And t picked up one fashion tip.
if you have bright red hair, don’t
wear hot pink polka dots. Ouch.

waek

Couldn't miss Mahlathini and
the Mahotella Queens, so |

-

. Photos Loulse Aird

LEON BIBB welcomes dignitaries io the Dragon Boat Festival.

headed for the Commodore
Ballroom, which was a sweltering
sea of bobbing heads. The dance -
floor was packed, the aisles were
packed — everybody was danc-
ing.

Mahlathini (the ‘‘Lion of
Soweto’’) and the queens, South
Africa’s number one female vocal
group, perform Mbaqanqa five, a
combination of traditional African
music and gospel. They sing in
Zulu — perhaps the fact that they-
can't be understood is part of their
mass appeal.

Talk about a widely varied au-
dience — on the dance floor were
turbans, buzz cuts and dreadlocks,
plus a few military uniforms and a
tuxedo.

Only spotted two people | knew
— because they were the tallest in
the room — former concert pianist
Tim Neufeld, and one of the
coolest guys around, youth
counsellor Oscar Sanchez.

| did recognize one other per-
son. On my way in, I'd given

ge ee Oe ee ee ee ee

; 2 for L nner ENTREE

Purchase one evtree at the regular price and receive
a second entree of equa! cr lesser value at no

additional charge

* Maximum value $12.00
* Valid till Aug. 15/92
¢ Not valid on deliveries

Pes

Dines

1351 Lonsdale, N.Van
985-5385

ee a
2 Sys ae oe oe os oo es R:

2 for 1 sunoay BUFFET

Purchase one Brunch at the
regular price and receive a

second at no additional charge,
10:30a.m.-2:30 p.m. Sundays

i

a

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| « Valid till Aug. 15/92
Bas

BRUNCH —
Dies

1351 Lonsdale, N.Van bid
985-5385

money.to someone who | thought
was a needy panhandler. Turns
ut he was just some guy who was
short of money for the concert. |
think | bought him a beer.

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