FEATURE FILM Released

Play It Loud! How Toronto Got Soul

Name: Play It Loud! How Toronto Got Soul
Genre: Music, Documentary
Released: 2024-12-04
Duration: 84 min
Cast: Jay Douglas, Jackie Richardson, Lowell 'Sly' Dunbar, Rollie "Cadence Weapon" Pemberton, Lillian Allen

“Play it Loud is a feature documentary that tells the little known story of how Jamaican music became a critical and unlikely part of Canadian culture, told through the life, music, struggles and triumphs of beloved singer Jay Douglas.”

Music Documentary

2024-12-04 84 min

In early 1960s Toronto, a white, Anglo-centric city, an underground music scene emerged from the Jamaican diaspora, led by newcomers like Jackie Mittoo, Wayne McGhie, and a young Jay Douglas. Battling racism and indifference, they left a lasting but underrecognized mark on Canadian music and culture. Nearly 60 years later, Jay Douglas still champions Jamaican music and is finally receiving long-overdue recognition. Play It Loud is a feature documentary that tells the little-known story of how Jamaican music became a vital, unlikely part of Canadian culture. It traces a cultural migration that made Canada a global hub for Jamaican music - celebrated abroad but overlooked at home. Told through the life and music of beloved singer Jay Douglas, born Clive Pinnock in rural Jamaica, the film follows his journey from teen performer to enduring icon.

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