Joseph Arthur Sealy was born in 1939 in Montreal, Quebec. He is an accomplished pianist, organist, actor, and composer. Although Sealy was born in Montreal, his family has long-standing ties to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the close-knit 19th century Black community, known as Africville. The relentless discrimination and undermining of Africville by the white majorities in Halifax, directly affected Sealy’s family, leading to his grandfather moving them to Montreal.

Sealy began his career in the 1950s after studying under Daisy Peterson Sweeney, sister of Oscar Peterson. He later moved to Halifax where he was the music director for CBC on several television series’. He played a number of gigs in Halifax and began singing with The Unusuals. His 1997 Juno award-winning album Africville Suite, tells stories of the Halifax neighborhood and their strife. In 1976 Sealy would serve as musical director for several musicals including Spring Thaw, among others, as well as performing in acting roles. Throughout his career, he has also written many scores for television and film. Awarded the Order of Canada in 2010, Joe Sealy is described as a “renaissance man” and remains a powerful voice for Black Canadians.