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6 T HE ONTARIO Pre-Junior teamwith three members of Jamaican heritage, cre- ated history on October 22 by participating in, and winning, the first-ever virtual Bible Bowl Championship game against North eastern Conference with a score of 125-80. THE 2021 National Bible Bowl competition was hosted by the Black Adventist Youth Directors Association. The team members include EthanWilliams, Dontae McDonald, and Immanuel Blake, who are all members of the Scarborough Seventh-day Adventist Church. Throughout the year, teams from various churches throughout Canada and the United States study the designated Bible books for the season and meet to com- pete locally, conference-wide, and then nationally. This year, the tar- get Bible books were Exodus and John. The team members were presented with a proclamation by deputy mayor Michael Thompson for their tremendous achievement. Damian Williams (at podium), the newly- appointed United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, speaks at what would have been the 93rd birthday anniversary of civil rights icon, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, at the annual remembrance on January 17 – MLK, Jr Day. The event was hosted by the National Action Network (NAN), founded by the Rev. Al Sharpton. Williams was born in Brooklyn, NY of Jamaican parents originally from Westmoreland. At left (background), is the Rev. Al Sharpton. GOLDENVOICE, THE creators of Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival and Stagecoach, California’s country music festival, have launched a new lifestyle and music festival California Vibrations, aka Cali Vibes. It will celebrate the golden state’s music, beach culture and reggae vibrations. THE OUTDOOR festival is sched- uled to take place Friday, February 4 through Sunday, February 6, at the Marina Green Park. The three-day, multi-stage fes- tival boasts a line-up which in- cludes many Jamaican reggae and dancehall artistes along with hip-hop legendsWu-Tang Clan and some of California’s finest, includ- ing Slightly Stoopid, Dirty Heads, Rebelution, Sublime with Rome and Stick Figure andmany more. Hailing from Jamaica, Sean Paul, Steel Pulse, Shaggy, Koffee, Protoje, Lila Iké, Barrington Levy and Don Carlos will take the stage. The Marley brothers, Stephen, Ziggy, Damian, Julian and Ky-Mani, will join forces for a special set celebrating the catalogue of Bob Marley. The BoomYard Stage, powered by Delicious Vinyl Island, will also show- case the island’s notable artistes, in- cluding Mr Vegas and Jesse Royal, and its newwave of innovating mu- sicians like Naomi Cowan, Blvk H3ro, Royal Blu, Runkus, Teejay, Yaardcore, Tessellated, Zac Jone$ and Projexx. Jon andMatt Phillips, co-founders of Silverback Music, teamed up with Goldenvoice to curate this festival. Jon explains why featuring Jamaican music on this particular bill is so important. “It is a priority for us to ensure this festival encompasses all the diverse sounds that define the SoCal lifestyle and Cali Vibes brand. Jamaican reg- gae and dancehall are crucial com- ponents. The island’s music is deeply rooted in Southern California’s cul- ture. Many of the local acts are heav- ily influenced by its genres. We are truly honoured to have such a robust roster of Jamaica’s legends and rising stars gracing the stage,” he stated. In addition to the music line-up, there will be a variety of experiential installations to enjoy. The original Sublime touring van will be on site as an interactive exhibit, and a live painting will be created by iconic artist Weiland. There will also be a specially curated food line-up and vendor marketplace. Cali Vibes Fest to showcase Jamaican artistes Multi-stage event for Long Beach February 4-6 Rev. Al Sharpton (left) with Rev. Rashad Moore (right) at the homegoing service for Guyanese born lawyer, political activist and journalist Colin A. Moore, who passed away late last year in New York. The service was held at the First Baptist Church in Brooklyn on Friday, January 21. Rev. Sharpton eulogized the late Colin Moore as one of the Caribbea’s vanguard in the struggle for justice, freedomand equality for all, not just for some. LEONARD MCKENZIE National Bible Bowl champs! The Ontario Pre-Junior team members (from left) Dontae McDonald, Immanuel Blake and Ethan Williams. CONTRIBUTED THE WEEKLY GLEANER | FEBRUARY 3 - 28, 2022 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS