Cathy Weaver: Masia One rocking the spot

Hamilton aka. Steel City is always an interesting place to me. As an aficionado of Anime and colorful animated depictions of our future, my imagination tends to runaway when watching the passing smoke stacks, metal palace factories and assorted gleaming lights out our tour van window. The first school, Waterdown had a real nice gym. I was loving the huge words WARRIORS painted on the back wall. A teacher asked 2 girls to help out our crew and they looked at her and walked the opposite direction. I couldn’t believe it…it was so incredibly rude and inconsiderate. As they strutted off in their Aritzia TNA sweatshirts, matching hair bands and co-ordinated UGG boots, I wondered to myself if they ever considered that lending a hand might lead to making a new friend. From making new friends, our lives are connected to someone else’s path, enriching our own lives by this connection and doubling the opportunities and possibilities this existence has to offer. In all fairness, a new group of girls came and helped us out and were very sweet!  The crowd seemed to have a good time and it was quickly off to the next school.

I found a Pho spot for lunch FINALLY after what feels like weeks of consuming only junk food, sandwiches and an assortment of expensive airplane food.  The place was called PHO BO, and midway through my delicious chicken noodle soup, the owner of the restaurant asked if I had a full time job, then offered me a job at his restaurant.  I was tempted to let the crew know they could finish the tour without me, I’d be working at PHO BO and consuming all the Pho I can eat.  Pho Sho…bad joke I know!

The kids at Cathy Weaver were considerably younger, but each time I passed through a doorway, i found that someone would always stop to open a door or say hello.  Back up help came through to transport the sound equipment to the stage and the remaining experience was  a positive one.  After the show, the students at Cathy Weaver asked such insightful questions, and were genuinely interested in myself and Eternia as artists and where we had been. The teachers were always friendly and positive.  I have been out of school for a number of years now, but it is still so inspirational to see teachers that love their job and kids that are the product of this joy in teaching.  Thanks Cathy Weaver!  I had a great time…

ps: Eternia and I were clowning around backstage! LIVE EXCLUSIVE HERE AT MASIAONE.COM

At night the crew headed out for some Thai food @ Salah Thai in St Catherines after the show.  Oooo, non-sandwich meals twice in one day?  My belly is happy!  Thank you Nina Jain for the suggestion!

Backstage @ Cathy Weaver about to get my toboggan on!

Loved this poster backstage!

Nana & Eternia posing out by the rice?

An extremely happy Kyle and his dessert!

What a great day in St Thomas!  I have to say that this has been one of my favorite schools on the tour!  The energy of the girls here was just bubbling, and I could feel the inspiration go both ways between performers and students! Backstage (which was actually the auditorium closet LOL) ETERNIA and I found some Guitar Hero guitars so naturally we had to do the rockstar boogie and do a ridiculous photoshoot before hitting the stage!  (Love you NANA for always holding it down!) I’ve been loosing my voice on tour because of the change in weather and diet but somehow every show I muster up enough vocals for the performance because the energy of the audience has been so phenomenal.  Thank you St Joes & Assumption ladies for your hospitality and I know you ladies will go on to do great things!

Pre-show Nana is a professional!

We should start a Screamo band...I call it E-Masia One-Ternia HAHAHA

Eternia will be the Emo one! LOL.

I think an Emo album should be on the horizon for E!

I'll bring more of a George Clinton P-Funk Era flavor!

...and SWEET guitar solos! Guitar Hero Rock Star One!

Or stick to zee Rap Music.

As promised ladies! Thanks for taking the flick! You are all so beautiful and fly! Keep in touch! (click on the picture for a bigger image!)

Check out my blogs every Wednesday on the www.becauseiamagirl.ca website!  Here is my latest update!

MASIA ONE BECAUSE I AM A GIRL BLOG

3am and got to be up in 3 hours…better get some shut eye before tomorrow’s show.

one love.

For the next month, Masia One will be taking time out from recording with Kops & Robbers to be back on the road touring for a cause she believes in: Girls Rights.  Having toured with The 411 in the past, Masia One will visiting 27 schools across Ontario answering questions and performing for the middle to high school students.  She would like to contribute in spreading the awareness of women and girls around the world tackling issues of body image of females in the media, violence against women and what girls around the world are doing to contribute to their communities and balance the scales of global gender inequality.  A press release is available below.

Summer 2009 Surabaya, Indonesia with teenagers from Pengeran

A Word from Masia One…

I had the opportunity to visit a PLAN COMMUNITY over the past summer while I was touring in SE Asia (and surfing in BALI) traveling to Surabaya, Indonesia.  The young people that met in Pengeran were so inspiring using plays they had written to express the issues they faced in their community, and allowing the performances to be a platform by which discussions could initiate and solutions could be developed.

A quick stint in Hollywood has me back in wonderful Ontario, working with Plan once again (in collaboration with The 411) starting a tour traveling up North to promote the “Because I Am a Girl” campaign.  I hope to meet many wonderful young ladies on this tour, and learn from them the issues they face growing up in Canada as a woman.  Moreover, I hope to share to the girls the privileged position they hold because they live in Canada, and inspire ambassador causes for young woman world wide and spread the word about what they learn.  20 million girls cannot go to school and as a result, 50% of the world’s women cannot read or write.  1 in 3 women will face abuse in her life time. One billion people live in extreme poverty – 70 per cent are women and girls.  These are alarming statistics and I hope to be ONE of the people contributing to the solution, both through my experiences and in my music.

For all you wonderful gyals I’ll be meeting across Ontario…can’t wait to get my left hand messy with black ink from signing too many autographs and sharing our HERstories.  One Love.

BIAG Campaign poster in TTC Subway

Because I Am A Girl: Press Release

Nov. 16, 2009. Toronto –Youth-led organization The 411 Initiative For Change (411), is teaming up with Plan Canada to present 411 TV: Because I Am A Girl, — a girls’ rights themed education program for schools across Ontario — in the format of a mock live-to-air TV Talk Show.

Canadian hip-hop artists Eternia and Masia One use their music and personal experiences to generate discussions on issues affecting girls in Canada and around the world. The show is hosted by CBC journalist Nana Aba Duncan, MTV Canada hosts Nicole Holness and Aliya-Jasmine Sovani, along with Diane Salema join the conversation through pre-taped segments to discuss their trips to visit girls in* Haiti, Colombia* and Sudan. This highly entertaining and candid program will reach 10,000 female students in Brampton, Mississauga, Brechin, Sudbury, Sault St. Marie, Thunder Bay, Dryden, Sioux Lookout, St. Thomas, Waterdown, Hamilton, Beamsville, St. Catharines, Sarnia, Windsor, Bowmanville, Oshawa, Toronto and Richmond Hill.

411 TV: Because I Am A Girl uses video, music and theatre to hear first-hand stories from young girls around the world about access to education, forced early marriage, violence against girls and women and self esteem.

This project is committed to portraying positive imagines of girls, to providing engaging stories and to offering real-lifetestimonies from girls around the world. Internationally, girls are making their voices heard, empowering themselves and inspiring others – one community at a time. The show airs stories of local heroes by highlighting both their struggles and successes in improving their lives and their communities.

“Young people get a lot of their information through television; we wanted to capitalize on this popular media through the creation of an innovative 411 branded TV talk show,” explains 411 President Sterling Downey. “We took a lot of inspiration from watching shows like The Hour, Oprahand Tyra Banks. We are honoured to be working with Plan Canada to incorporate their international content into the program. Through the wonders of new media, we can create the concept of live-to-air taping – with satellite feeds for guest interviews.”

411’s programming works to connect young Canadians to volunteering initiatives and resources in their communities and provides schools with meaningful opportunities for youth to continue learning about this critical issue. This program demonstrates that young Canadians are drivers of change and make a difference in the world.

Plan Canada is part of Plan, a global movement for change and one of the world’s oldest and largest international development agencies. Operating in more than 65 countries, and inclusive of all faiths and cultures, we mobilize millions of people to support social justice for children in the developing world. We promote gender equality in all of our work.

School Performance Dates:
Nov 13 – Dec 4, 2009 (9am and 1pm shows each day)
*Contact 411 for school names, addresses and exact times in each city

Contact: The 411 Initiative For Change
Email: tamara@whatsthe411.ca // whatsthe411.ca

Contact: Veritas Communications for Plan Canada
Email: modesto@veritascanada.com

This program is supported by: The Department of Canadian Heritage, The Ontario Trillium Foundation, Dose.ca, The Girl Effect, and MTV Canada

BECAUSE I AM A GIRL:
http://www.BecauseIAmAGirl.ca

The 411 INITIATIVE FOR CHANGE:
http:/www.Whatsthe411.ca

ARTIST INFO:

www.masiaone.com

www.myspace.com/Eternia

www.nanaabaduncan.com

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