The new Canada Black Music Archives, draws interest from America and beyond

DONNA MCCURVIN AND PHIL VASSELL by Donald James, For The Michigan Chronicle America and the world know that Canada has produced many Black music stars, such as Drake, Oscar Peterson, The Weekend, Deborah Cox, Melanie Fiona, Tamia, Vanity, Cree Summer, Glenn Lewis, and more. However, long before the talented artists ever recorded music or performed on world stages, Canada had already established deep Black roots representing many genres of music dating back to at least the early 1700s. In a cutting-edge and concerted process to research, document, preserve, and celebrate the music of Black artists north of the U.S. border, the Canada Black Music Archives (CBMA) was officially launched in late 2023. The Toronto-based non-profit’s mission is to fill crucial gaps in Canada’s historical music narratives by providing a broad digital platform spotlighting the voluminous contributions, stories, accomplishments, milestones, and legacies of Black artists in Canada. While superstar recording artists like Drake, The Weekend, and a segment of others have garnered tremendous exposure, there are perhaps thousands of talented Black Canadian artists – past and present – who have received lesser exposure, with some recording or performing in obscurity. “Their stories and contributions are often not told or documented by...