B.C.’s Caribbean community is preparing for its biggest bash of the year on the B.C. Day long weekend. The Maple Ridge Caribbean Festival will present the free Tropical Vibes Music Fest at the Albion Fairgrounds, marking the 25th anniversary of this cultural celebration.
Day 1 on Saturday (August 2) runs from 1 to 10 p.m., with a lengthy list of entertainers, beginning with Surfdub and closing with the Hitsville USA Band’s Tribute to Motown. Vocalists Mike Henry and Janelle Reid channel the sounds of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and other Motown legends. They’re accompanied by Derry Byrne on trumpet, Steve Hilliam on saxophone, Roger Salloum on keyboards, Anthony Anderson on guitar, Lisa Simons on bass, and Nino Dipasquale on drums.
The musical lineup that day also includes Boomdaddy, Maffi & the Vulcano Band, Mdundo Wa East Africa, Mivule, Nick Hope, Tambore Fusion, and Ezra Kwizera.
Day 2 on Sunday (August 3) opens at noon with XKalibre, followed by Anica Simon, Phonosonics, Okwomma Cultural Troupe, and Mostly Marley. Then there’s a Carnival Dance Party, according to the schedule. The rest of the lineup includes Carl Soundvibes, Tropical Breeze, and Phase 3. The Sunday headliner, the Julio Avila Cuban Band, goes on-stage at 7 p.m.
Julio Ávila has performed throughout Europe as a member of La Sonora Universal. He moved to Vancouver in 2015 and he is director, composer, arranger, and lead singer with the band, which performs salsa, son, bachata, boleros, and cumbias. His son, Julio Avila Jr., plays saxophone, clarinet, flute, and keyboards. The other members are Isidora Basanovic (singer), Hamilton Feraud (singer, percussionist), Christian Quintero (trumpet) Ernesto Benitez (pianist), Reinaldo Burgues (voice, güiro), and Denis Barzaga and Norman García (percussionists).
Tropical Vibes reflects a region with many languages
In addition to the music at Tropical Vibes, there will be vendors, kids’ activities, and some Caribbean vocabulary in the air. “Irie”, for example, is a Jamaican term for “everything is fine”, whereas “wah gwaan” means “what’s up” or “how are you?” Visitors might also consider learning a few words of Trinidadian Creole English, which is a mix of English, French, Spanish, Indian, and African languages.
Of course, Spanish is spoken in Caribbean countries like Cuba and the Dominican Republic, as well as in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, French is the official language of Haiti, the French Department of Guadeloupe, and French territorial collectivities of Martinique, Saint Barthélemy (St. Barts), and Saint-Martin.
The Caribbean region also has islands where Dutch is the official language. They include Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten. It makes for a potent cultural mix at the Tropical Vibes Music Fest.
All of this will take place in one of the fastest-growing cities in Metro Vancouver. Earlier this year, the Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows News cited Statistics Canada data in reporting that Maple Ridge’s population had reached 106,489 in 2024. That was up 11.9 percent since the 2021 census.
“We’ve been growing at a rapid rate—twice the national rate,” Mayor Dan Ruimy told journalist Neil Corbett.
As a result of its growing population, Maple Ridge is becoming more of a musical hotbed. Just last weekend, the Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Country Fest took place at the Albion Fairgrounds. On August 9, the Albion Fairgrounds will be the site of the third annual Utsav – A Festival of Colours, Culture and Connections, which celebrates the overseas Indian community with music and dance. Meanwhile, Maple Ridge’s largest music festival, Our Neck of the Woods, will return to Memorial Peace Park on September 6 with the Sam Roberts Band as the headliner.
Mike Henry posted this video (above) on YouTube from the 2023 Maple Ridge Caribbean Festival.
Event details
The Tropical Vibes Music Fest will take place on Saturday (August 2) and Sunday (August 3) at the Albion Fairgrounds (23448 Jim Robson Way) in Maple Ridge. For more information, visit the website. Follow Pancouver on X @PancouverMedia and Bluesky @pancouver.bsky.social. Pancouver is also on Instagram @PancouverMedia. In addition, follow Charlie Smith on Bluesky @charliesmithvcr.bsky.social.
