Canada

Black

Music

black music legacy

The CBMA's mission is to research, preserve and celebrate various music genres, created, influenced and inspired by primarily Black Canadian musicians.

archive

Customize how you search the CBMA archive. Click any of the archive categories to get started or select a featured artist to view more information about them!

artist

genre

region

decade

Celebrating Women's History Month

Shelton Brooks

1900s, Classical, Jazz, Ontario

Shawne Jackson

1960s, Ontario, R&B

Salome Bey

1930s, Blues, Jazz, Ontario

Richard Amos Ball (The Ball Family Jubilee Singers)

1880s, Gospel, Minstrel, Ontario, Spirituals

Portia White

1940s, Classical, Gospel, Nova Scotia, Ontario

Phyllis Marshall

1930s, Jazz, Ontario

Pat McNeilly [Panman Pat]

1960s, Calypso, Caribbean, Ontario, Steelband, Steelpan

Nathaniel Dett

1880s, Blues, Classical, Folk, Gospel, Jazz, Ontario, Spirituals

Nana McLean

1970s, Dancehall, Ontario, Reggae

Motion Live

1980s, DJ, HipHop, Ontario, Rap, Spoken Word

Jay Jackson

1960s, Ontario, R&B, Soul

Jackie Shane

1940s, Ontario, R&B

Jackie Mittoo

1960s, Dancehall, Ontario, Reggae

Claudja Barry

1970s, Disco, Funk, Ontario, Pop, Soul

Bobby Dean-Blackburn

1950s, Blues, Gospel, Ontario, R&B, Rock

Archie Alleyne

1950s, Jazz, Ontario

Adrian Miller

1980s, Ontario, Reggae

featured

news

Collage of various Black Canadian Artists

City of Toronto Proclaims June as Black Music Month (2025)

June 1, 2025

This June 2025 has officially been proclaimed as Black Music Month in the city of Toronto. Following a request from the Canada Black Music Archives, Mayor Olivia Chow and her office have issued a proclamation stating June as Black Music Month, highlighting the contributions of Black Canadian musicians to the artform.