Play It Loud! How Toronto Got Soul

Name: Play It Loud! How Toronto Got Soul
Genre: Documentary, Music
Released: 2025-01-14
Duration: 1 hr 24 min
Cast: Jay Douglas, Jackie Richardson, Lowell 'Sly' Dunbar, Rollie "Cadence Weapon" Pemberton, Lillian Allen

Movie"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."

NR 1 hr 24 minDocumentary, Music

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.

StarringJay DouglasJackie RichardsonLowell 'Sly' Dunbar

DirectorGraeme Mathieson

WriterGraeme Mathieson

Movie Details Full Cast & Crew