Special Guests

• Donisha Prendergast — Granddaughter Of Bob & Rita Marley, Filmmaker, Human Rights Activist, and Storyteller

  As the granddaughter of Bob and Rita Marley, Donisha offers her insight on the amazing lives of “Jamaica’s First Family”, whose many contributions include the founding of the Bob Marley Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to helping people and organizations in the developing world. As an accomplished filmmaker, Donisha’s role in the Canadian feature-length documentary, RasTa, A Soul’s Journey, educates audiences on the RasTafari culture – quelling the many misunderstandings and misconceptions about this way of life. This film shows how Bob Marley’s eternal message of freedom and compassion is relevant to today’s issues of inequality. Donisha explains, “Making the documentary helped me become a little closer to his mission. He was not just a musician, but a freedom fighter.”Her travels throughout the world, from Africa & the Caribbean to India, Europe, Japan has exposed her to many lifestyles, perspectives, and stories that have helped to influence her patience and ability to relate to a cross-section of audiences. “At the end of the day, we are all souls on a journey... bits and pieces of the same whole.” With her highly motivating allocution and famous family pedigree, Donisha always proves to be an enlightened beacon of hope and positive influence educating others about the Rastafari culture.
  www.iamdonisha.com

  ← 52m:10s – 47.78 MB →

  
  

• Tommy Caldwell — Author of THE PUSH: A Climber’s Search For The Path, Star of Documentary THE DAWN WALL

  THE PUSH is a dramatic, inspiring memoir by legendary rock climber Tommy Caldwell, the first person to free climb the Dawn Wall of Yosemite’s El Capitan. On January 14, 2015, Tommy Caldwell, along with his partner, Kevin Jorgeson, summited what is widely regarded as the hardest climb in history—Yosemite’s nearly vertical 3,000-foot Dawn Wall, after nineteen days on the route. Caldwell’s odds-defying feat was the culmination of an entire lifetime of pushing himself to his limits as an athlete. This engrossing memoir chronicles the journey of a boy with a fanatical mountain-guide father who was determined to instill toughness in his son to a teen whose obsessive nature drove him to the top of the sport-climbing circuit. Caldwell’s affinity for adventure then led him to the vertigo-inducing and little understood world of big wall free climbing. But his evolution as a climber was not without challenges; in his early twenties, he was held hostage by militants in a harrowing ordeal in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. Soon after, he lost his left index finger in an accident. Later his wife, and main climbing partner left him. Caldwell emerged from these hardships with a renewed sense of purpose and determination. He set his sights on free climbing El Capitan’s biggest, steepest, blankest face—the Dawn Wall. This epic assault took more than seven years, during which time Caldwell redefined the sport, found love again, and became a father. The Push is an arresting story of focus, drive, motivation, endurance, and transformation, a book that will appeal to anyone seeking to overcome fear and doubt, cultivate perseverance, turn failure into growth, and find connection with family and with the natural world.
  www.dawnwall-film.com / www.tommycaldwell.com

  ← 27m:17s – 24.98 MB →

  
  

• Rachel M. McCleary and Robert J. Barro — Authors of THE WEALTH OF RELIGIONS: The Political Economy of Believing and Belonging

  Which countries grow faster economically—those with strong beliefs in heaven and hell or those with weak beliefs in them? Does religious participation matter? Why do some countries experience secularization while others are religiously vibrant? In The Wealth of Religions, Rachel McCleary and Robert Barro draw on their long record of pioneering research to examine these and many other aspects of the economics of religion. Places with firm beliefs in heaven and hell measured relative to the time spent in religious activities tend to be more productive and experience faster growth. Going further, there are two directions of causation: religiosity influences economic performance and economic development affects religiosity. Dimensions of economic development—such as urbanization, education, health, and fertility—matter too, interacting differently with religiosity. State regulation and subsidization of religion also play a role. The Wealth of Religions addresses the effects of religious beliefs on character traits such as work ethic, thrift, and honesty; the Protestant Reformation and its long-term effects on education and religious competition; Communism’s suppression of and competition with religion; the effects of Islamic laws and regulations on the functioning of markets and, hence, on the long-term development of Muslim countries; why some countries have state religions; analogies between religious groups and terrorist organizations; the violent origins of the Dalai Lama’s brand of Tibetan Buddhism; and the use by the Catholic Church of saint-making as a way to compete against the rise of Protestant Evangelicals.
  
  *Rachel M. McCleary is a lecturer in the Department of Economics at Harvard University. Her books include The Oxford Handbook of the Economics of Religion.
  
  *Robert J. Barro is the Paul M. Warburg Professor of Economics at Harvard. His books include Education Matters: Global Schooling Gains from the 19th to the 21st Century and Economic Growth. They both live in Massachusetts.

  ← 16m:40s – 15.26 MB →

  
  

LIVE! on TDMS - Devoted Souly to the Art of Music

• Amanda Martinez

  Amanda Martinez is a Canadian based singer/songwriter whose music exultingly blends her unique Mexican and South African roots with flamenco soul. Her third and latest CD "Mañana" was helmed by GRAMMY-winning producer Javier Limón. Limón, whose production credits include acclaimed singers such as Buika, Mariza and Diego el Cigala, hails Martinez as "one of the greatest voices in the world." "Mañana" and her previous solo albums have earned her three Latin Jazz Artist of the Year nominations at Canada's National Jazz Awards. Amanda’s songs have appeared on three Putumayo world music collections: Bossanova Around the World, Latin Dreamland and most recently, Cafe Latino. She has headlined at the legendary Blue Note jazz club in New York, at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Festivities in South Africa, and at the 2011 Pan-American Games in Guadalajara. She also performed in a series of concerts during the 2015 Toronto Pan Am Games, as well as hosting several events. During the 2015 Pan Am Games, she also served as the honourary co-chair of the Ignite program. In the media, Amanda is currently hosting PANAMANIA-- a TV series she produces with CBC Sports that highlights Toronto's cultural scene. Amanda has worked as a radio host (launching Canada's JAZZFM91 Latin Jazz program), TV personality (BRAVO Arts & Minds, Star TV!) and actress (Regenesis and Disney's Life with Derek). She also hosts and co-produces Ingredients for a Good Life to promote Mexico to Canadians.
  *On June 22 at the Isabel Bader Theatre during TD Jazz Festival in Toronto, Amanda Martinez will launch her latest CD “LIbre”!
  
  www.amandamartinez.ca
  
  CHECK THIS VIDEO OUT: Amanda Martinez - Va y Viene (Official Video)
  **AND… Check out our DrewTube page to watch over 100 videos from some of our previous recording artists.

  ← 35m:03s – 32.10 MB →

  
  

Rebuilding Love

• A 9 Week Series With Canadian Talk Show Host Drew Marshall (& his wife) AND Relationship Guru & Psychologist Dr. Sue Johnson — HOLD ME TIGHT Conversation #5 “Forgiving Injuries”

  They tried 28 years of doing marriage their way, but eventually it ended. However, after a long separation, Canadian talk show host Drew Marshall and his wife Bev recently renewed their vows on a small deserted island off the coast of Mexico. Now, to make sure he doesn’t screw it up again, Drew has asked renowned psychologist and relationship guru Dr. Sue Johnson to help he and his wife rebuild their love - but this time with new foundational building blocks, using tools they’ve never had before. Dr. Johnson has agreed to personally take Bev and Drew through her Hold Me Tight Program.
  
  THIS WEEK: HOLD ME TIGHT Conversation #5 “Hold Me Tight - Forgiving Injuries”
  
  *If you've been following these incredibly vulnerable conversations with Bev, Drew & Dr. Sue and are interested in registering for the Hold Me Tight Program - CLICK HERE to begin rebuilding your love.

  ← 00m:00s – 0.00 MB →