Pan Am pickups: Musicians to perform in vintage pickup trucks to promote Games

TORONTO – Several musical acts plan to jam in the back of vintage pickup trucks in three Ontario cities this month to promote the 2015 Toronto Pan American Games.

The CIBC-sponsored block parties, called “Streetside,” will kick off Aug. 8 with a free, public concert at Harbourfront Centre in downtown Toronto.

Acts on the bill include salsa group Lula All Stars, Jamaican-born singer Jay Douglas, Afro-Caribbean accordion player Joaquin Diaz, and Quebec bluegrass outfit Canailles.

Professional dancers will also be on hand to offer salsa lessons.

The music series will tour to several other Toronto locations before moving to Hamilton and Markham.

Featured will be sounds from North America, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Other acts in the lineup include Latin-jazz singer Amanda Martinez, southwest Louisiana-inspired Loco Zydeco, and Canadian-Caribbean group Kobo Town.

This is the second part of the Toronto 2015 Arts and Culture Festival after last summer’s “Play Me, I’m Yours” street piano project in downtown Toronto.