Thanks to everyone who came to our screening of actor and producer Anthony Sherwood‘s documentary Music — a Family Tradition at the Revue on Sunday, Feb. 25.
The film, made in the 1990s, features four Canadian Black families in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver for whom the love of and talent for music has been passed down from parents to children to grandchildren. Many people left the cinema wondering why they had never heard of some of the remarkable musicians Anthony brought to the screen. The film ended with a rousing performance with members of all four families on one stage, backed by a 50-voice gospel choir conducted by Anthony’s brother Kim.
We had a fascinating panel discussion with Anthony; writer and historian Rosemary Sadlier, whose hard work led to recognition of February as Black History Month; and Lillian Jackman, who was a dancer and owner of nightclubs in New York, Montreal, Toronto and Quebec. We learned about the history of Blacks in Canada; about Little Burgundy in Montreal, where Anthony and Lillian both grew up (with Oscar Peterson a neighbour); and about Anthony’s remarkable grandmother, a music teacher in Halifax. Above, our panel from left: Rosemary, Anthony, Lillian and Back Lane’s Ellen Moorhouse.