Spectacular Kanpe Kanaval lends helping hand to Haiti
DISCLAIMER: For those who do NOT love a festive eve for a fabulous cause, awash in celebrity and music of the spectacular variety, the fifth annual Kanpe Kanaval concert event for the Kanpe Foundation — helping the poorest families in Haiti (the Créole word “kanpe” means “stand up”) via financial autonomy — was not for you, and you should stop reading now. For those who have a yen for such spirited, meaningful soirees, keep reading. WAY TO VIP COCKTAIL: Nothing kicks off a great event better than a well-executed cocktail, where venue, food, bevs, peeps, and entertainment are equally impressive. SPOT-ON VENUE: Fortunately, that was precisely the case at the 2017 Kanpe cocktail. Held this year in Metropolis’s chic-chill Savoy lounge, the backdrop was beyond perfect for the reception’s weather-diverting tropical theme. GASTRONOMICALLY INCLINED: Not surprisingly, food was in ample supply, and heavenly Haitian flavoured and motivated, thanks to the generous involvement of haute eateries and caterers like Agrikol, Lucilles, Casserole Kréole, Miss Prête-àManger, Sucre & Rum, and celeb chefs/Food Network stars Chuck Hughes and Danny Smiles. KOCKTAILS DONE RIGHT: Cocktails were similarly inspired, some delightfully infused with Haiti’s Barbancourt rum. VVVIP CROWD: Dotting the pre-Kanaval cocktail landscape were foundation and Kanaval supporters including foundation co-founders, Quebec minister Dominique Anglade and Arcade Fire’s Régine Chassagne, attending with husband/band member, Win Butler; former Arcade Fire member, current CEO of Plus1, Marika Anthony-Shaw; Kanaval King, Impact captain Patrice Bernier; Kanaval Queen, Naomy Grand’Pierre, the Montreal born first female swimmer on Haiti’s Olympic national team in Rio; Apple Music’s Mia Parang with husband Fred Caron; the PHI Centre’s fab Phoebe Greenberg; beloved TV and radio hosts Isabelle Racicot and Rebecca Makonnen; Res Publica’s Andrew Molson with wife Helen Antoniou; Brasserie Enfants Terribles owner Francine Brûlé and beau Serge Bruneau; Lightspeed founder/CEO Dax Dasilva and PR director Bradley Grill; QuadBridge CEO/founder PJ Emam; Juliette and Chocolat founder/ queen baker Juliette Brun with hub Lionel May; Evenko exec Nick Farkas; legal eagle and CIJA supporter Patrick Benaroche with beautiful wife Susan; Artist For Peace And Justice’s Kathryn Everett; Kanpe public relations handler extraordinaire, Milagro PR Atelier tops Martine St-Victor with foundation board member Stéphane Brutus, interim dean of the John Molson School of Business; Mandy’s Salads’ magnificent Mandy and Rebecca Wolfe, on scene with husband, Mimi & Coco royal Vincenzo Cavallo, and brother, CIJA’s Josh Wolfe with love, Maria Antonopoulos; PR powerhouse Leisa Lee; and Haitian rock royal Paul Beaubrun with longtime Kanpe supporters Michelle Powell, Reford MacDougall, Domtar executive Madeleine Féquière, and Fondation Air Canada’s Micheline Villeneuve. NEVER A DULL MOMENT: Additional cocktail highlights were a Hollywood worthy live auction by hosts, local luminary AnneMarie Withenshaw and bona fide movie star/SNL alum, hilarious Jason Sudeikis, who braved the perils of the storm to partake in the evening. THE MAIN EVENT: Post reception, guests joined the 2,400plus other Kanaval enthusiasts for the main party-for-a-cause concert, that started with the Haitian traditional Rara Soley dancers, continued to to wow with headliners Gardy Fury, Planet Giza, Fwonte, Pierre Kwenders, Tito Maréchal Blues Créole, Gayance, Ti-Will, Paul Beaubrun, and Coeur de Pirate, before driving it all home with a beyond superb finale by Arcade Fire, the first time all members performed together in Montreal since August 2014. NOT DONE YET: Post concert, Arcade Fire co-lead singer Butler changed into his alter ego: DJ Windows 98 and played out the night on the 1’s and 2’s, morphing Metropolis into a giant dance floor. THE RAISON D’ÊTRE: While it was easy to get lost in all the Kanpetastic, the most important takeaway from the eve was the important monies raised for the foundation that go the distance in empowering Haitians in need.
Gotta love the stand-up nights.