The Untold Stories of Canadian Soul at Schema : more than ethnic

The Untold Stories of Canadian Soul

Jamaic%20to%20Toronto.gif Lloyd%20Delpratt.jpg

You know we got soul!
Light in the Attic's Jamaica to Toronto: Soul, Funk & Reggae 1967-1974 compilation series
(left pic: Lloyd Delpratt, one of the featured musicians)

We can all trace the roots of American popular music back to African and African-American styles, but the history of Canadian black communities and their contributions to modern soul, funk, reggae, etc. is less well known.

Hip hop originated from Jamaican immigrants (e.g. DJ Kool Herc) in the late 70s. They brought their sound system parties from Jamaica, which became the block parties on the streets of the Bronx, depicted in movies like Wildstyle and Beat Street. Similarly, thriving Jamaican and Caribbean communities held things down in Toronto melding Caribbean genres like ska, rocksteady and reggae with soul, R&B and funk.

The Jamaica to Toronto music series brings some much-needed spotlight to the musicians who put the soul in the maple leaf.

> Tracklisting and audio samples | Bring that Beat Back (CBC.ca) | Canada's Got Soul? Why Our R&B Artists Get Left in the Cold (Exclaim article) | Maple Leaf Soul (Exclaim CD review) | Jamaica to Toronto: Lost stars of the city's vibrant 60s R&B scene finally get their chance to shine (TO's NOW mag)

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