What to know
- CBMA turned the City of Toronto Archives building into a live celebration of Black music on Feb. 5, spotlighting R&B and soul performances in honour of Black History Month.
- The showcase featured iconic Canadian artists including Liberty Silver, Tanika Charles, Divine Brown, Dru, Jully Black, blending live music with conversations about culture, history, and community.
- CBMA says the event was about “animating the archive,” using music to connect younger generations with Black history and create a space of belonging, joy, and shared identity.
A night filled with dancing to R&B and Soul music. Canada Black Music Archives (CBMA) hosted a showcase in honour of Black History Month in Toronto.
On the evening of Feb. 5, the City of Toronto Archives building was transformed into a room celebrating Black culture and history through performances and meaningful conversations.
The event started with a conversation between CBMA Executive Director Phil Vassell and Chef and Musician Roger Mooking.
A few speakers also took part in the event, including the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Edith Dumont, who shared her delight at celebrating BHM in light of its 30th anniversary in Canada.
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Following a few more speakers, the CBMA welcomed its first performer, Liberty Silver.
She set the stage by making her way through the guests and getting the crowd moving.
Following Silver, Tanika Charles, Divine Brown, Dru, and Jully Black graced the stage.
Vassell told Now Toronto that the CBMA event last year focused on rap, so this year around, he chose R&B and Soul music. He says he wanted a way to connect with younger people who give “strange looks” when hearing about working on archives, so CBMA wanted to “animate what an archive can do” through this form of music – and people loved it.
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Jojo, an attendee at the event, tells Now Toronto that he was looking forward to some of the performers he’s grown up hearing.
“Maybe they’ll perform the classics I remember hearing on the radio all the time.”
Sherry, another attendee, shared that “music has so much influence, from rock, punk, folk, jazz, all of that started from African roots and Black people… When I think of music, I think of Black culture.”
Another attendee, Diana, shared she’s “most excited to see the friends and folks that I don’t really get to see. I’m a producer myself, so what this means is preserving our history, and I can’t wait to see all these musical performances.”
“It’s not often that I get a chance to see all these people in one space, so not calling it any favouritism, but I’m really, really happy to see everyone in one spot.”
Diana’s words reflect the warm feeling she gets in a space celebrating Black History Month through music.
Vassell explains that’s why the CBMA hosts the showcase, to build “a sense of belonging, a sense of strength [and] a sense of possibilities. When the world stops and celebrates BHM, then everybody can feel included.”
Jojo adds that he feels he can celebrate his “true identity, shifting the culture in a positive direction, and just not caring about how you’re perceived as a beautiful Black person.”
Another attendee, Jacqueline, feels the love in the community and recognizes Black History Month as “an opportunity to celebrate a lot of celebrations and achievements that Black people have made over the years.”
Amid many Black achievements, Diana explains that, to her, BHM is “Black Futures Month,” because “we’re not just stuck in the past, we are celebrating our past, present and future.”
