Street Festivals

Sunday afternoon at the Taste of the Danforth. The crowds line up along the souvlaki stands. At the end of the street stands a stage, on which a band plays original songs and medleys of Greek hits. The band, known as Ena k'Ena, features a female vocalist, electric guitarist, keyboardist, bassist and darbouka player. The band leader plays bouzouki, violin, and a triple stringed electric instrument containing a saz, bouzouki and kumbuz that his father built. After the band's set, an MC takes the stage, determined to teach the crowd a few words of Greek: opa, te kanis, ola kala, evkharisto.

After his shtick, a traditional Greek dancing troupe takes the stage. The women are wearing a one piece outfit that goes down to their ankles, and their heads are modestly covered in a headcloth. The men for their part are dressed in white tights, ballerina-type tutus, and shoes with pompoms over the toes. The men mostly dance with each other, while the women clap hands in the background. At one point, the men dance in pairs. They fling their partner into the air, who manages to click his heels together before landing.

After this silliness has ended, Ena k'Ena takes the stage for another set. The toddlers in the audience appear to highly enjoy the performance. Following the set, the MC repeats his shtick verbatim, not forgetting to tell us that Greeks invented the term "OK". I decide to leave. On the way to the subway, I pass snake charmers, donair vendors keeping the beat of their Turkish techno with their meat tongs, and lots of people with peacock weathers.

Later that evening I head to Kensington for some onions. The street has been closed for Pedestrian Sunday. At the top of Augusta, a fierce Scrabble game is taking place, while Orthodox Jewish and black kids spin together in spiral mazes that have been painted onto the street. Further down, Maracatu Nunca Antes is finishing up their set. I spot a friend I hadn't seen in a while, who is mixing drinks out of fruit juice containers and brown paper bags. A djembe ensemble takes the stage, accompanied by the Kensington Horns. They are followed by more of the usual suspects: Samba Elegua, The New Kings. Assorted objects, such as hubcaps and garbage lids, are handed out to the audience for them to bang on. At 9:00, the blackout of 2003 is reenacted, and all the streetlights are turned off. The effect is mitigated somewhat by the lit apartments on either side of the street.