B’LACK THEN: Muted Melodies – Black Music Heritage Exhibit at the Archives of Ontario

The Archives of Ontario is thrilled to feature B’LACK THEN: Muted Melodies, an exhibit by the Canada Black Music Archives (CBMA) that delves into the untold stories of Black musicians from Ontario and invites you to experience how their impact shaped music history in the province.

Location: Archives of Ontario's Reading Room at 134 Ian Macdonald Blvd., Toronto, ON M7A 2C5
Dates: May 22, 2025 to February 27, 2026
Visiting hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm

Six black-and-white photographs of Black musicians arranged in two rows of three. White text that reads “B’LACK THEN” is at centre, over the photographs.

Click to see a larger image

From top left, clockwise: Photograph of King Cosmos, courtesy of King Cosmos; Reverend Richard Amos Ball, courtesy of Robert Ball; Portia White, courtesy of the estate of Portia White; Salome Bey, courtesy of the estate of Salome Bey; Adrian Miller, courtesy of Adrian Miller; Claudja Barry, courtesy of Claudja Barry.

Spread across eight glass vitrines, the exhibit illuminates the lives of 23 artists across 10 music genres through photographs, albums, newspaper clippings, film screenings, discussions and more. Visitors are invited to explore significant albums, singles and compilations by artists such as Portia White, Salome Bey, Jackie Shane, Jackie Mittoo, Leroy Sibbles, Nana McLean, Adrian Miller, Motion, Rochester aka Juice and Gene King. Rare sheet music by the Ball Family, Shelton Brooks and Nathaniel Dett is also featured, along with original performance costumes worn by King Cosmos, Claudja Barry and Rochester aka Juice.

The display cases also include intimate photographs of the Assoon Brothers, Kobèna Aquaa-Harrison and Archie Alleyne, as well as treasured musical instruments. Among them are Kobèna Aquaa-Harrison’s handcrafted guitar, signed by Bo Diddley and other prominent musicians, and Panman Pat’s beloved steel pan, famously played at the first Caribana in 1967. You can also experience the vibrant spirit of Caribana, now known as the Toronto Caribbean Carnival, through a short, silent film reel featuring scenes from the festival during the 1970s and 1980s.

From jazz to hip hop, come experience how the muted melodies of Black Ontario artists deserve the spotlight and are an essential part of the province’s musical legacy.

About the curators
This exhibition was collaboratively curated and organized by Phillip Vassell (Executive Director), Donna McCurvin (Managing Director), and Shadio Hussein (Collections Manager) of the Canada Black Music Archives, with support from Collections Assistants Vivian Ho and Nicole Cholewka.

Acknowledgements
B’LACK THEN: Muted Melodies features loaned materials from a wide range of collections and archives. The Canada Black Music Archives and the Archives of Ontario are grateful to the following institutions for providing items for this exhibition: Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections at York University, Michigan State University Archives & Historical Collections, Northside Hip Hop Archive, the Library of Congress and the Toronto Public Library.

Huge thanks also to the following individuals and estates: the estate of Salome Bey, the estate of Portia White, the Bobby Dean Blackburn fonds, Kobèna Aquaa-Harrison, Claudja Barry, Robert Ball, Rob Bowman, Rochester aka Juice, Motion, Gene King, Albert Assoon, Anassia O’Connor, Shawne Jackson-Troiano, Adrian Miller, King Cosmos and Panman Pat.