Melkweg Cinema: Sounds & Pressure, Reggae in a Foreign Land (2024) | Melkweg, Amsterdam | 14-02-2025

In collaboration with Caribbean Creativity, we’re presenting a special screening of this new five-part documentary series, which chronicles the journeys of five Jamaican reggae artists—including icons like Johnny Osbourne and Leroy Sibbles—as they traveled from Jamaica to Canada and helped shape Toronto’s reggae scene.

Premiered in December in our Cinema, this anthology highlights the transformation of Toronto into a reggae hub, featuring rare archival footage and personal stories from artists who left Jamaica to build their careers in Canada. Directed by Chris Flanagan and Graeme Mathieson, the series showcases the cultural impact of reggae across borders.

At the height of reggae’s golden era, some of Jamaica’s biggest stars left their homeland to shine in an unexpected center of Caribbean creativity: Toronto. The film follows the journeys of these icons: Johnny Osbourne, Nana McLean, Jerry Brown, Leroy Sibbles, and Roy & Yvonne. With rare archives and infectious beats, this captivating five-part anthology takes you from Kingston to Kensington Market, revealing how reggae blossomed in Canada despite all odds.

• Johnny Osbourne (2024, 18 min)
  Before achieving international fame as the “Dancehall Godfather,” legendary singer Johnny Osbourne played a pivotal role in transforming Toronto into one of the most influential reggae communities in the world.
• Nana McLean (2024, 15 min)
  Against the changing backdrop of Toronto’s Little Jamaica, where she helped establish some of the city’s iconic reggae record shops, singer Nana McLean challenged outdated stereotypes and earned her title as the queen of reggae in Canada.
• Jerry Brown’s Summer Records (2024, 15 min)
  Jerry Brown’s Summer Records was one of the first recording studios to give a voice to Canadian reggae artists. Four decades later, never-before-seen footage reveals the story of the man behind the mixing desk.
• Leroy Sibbles (2024, 18 min)
  In Trench Town, the birthplace of reggae, Leroy Sibbles rose to prominence as the lead singer of The Heptones and the undisputed king of the reggae bassline. At the peak of his career, he left it all behind to build a new legacy in Toronto.
• Roy & Yvonne (2024, 15 min)
  Roy Panton and Yvonne Harrison made history as one of Jamaica’s first ska duos. Decades after parting ways, they rekindle their magic—this time, 3,000 kilometers north in Scarborough, Ontario.

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