Corktown common
thursday, july 21, 2022

Soul power

With the short film Ruff & Tuff - Stranger Cole's Toronto Roots

Muhammad Ali and George Foreman’s historic 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” champtionship boxing match in Kinshasa, Zaire, is the stuff of legend. Less known, but no less notable, a star-packed three-night concert known as “Zaire 74” took place over the same weekend to commemorate the event, a production that featured both American and South African musicians. Though some footage of this momentous concert was used in the award-winning doc When We Were Kings, it took over thirty years to compile and release a stand-alone concert doc, Soul Power. Directed by Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, the film features legendary artists James Brown, BB King, Bill Withers and Celia Cruz at the peak of their careers, as well as footage of Kinshasa locals enjoying the celebrations of artistic and athletic excellence that took over their city for one unforgettable week in ‘74. 

Jamaican Ska and Reggae legend Stranger Cole moved to Toronto in the early 1970s, leaving stardom behind to set up a record store and music label, the First Caribbean business in Kensington Market. His memorable story is captured in documentary short film Ruff & Tuff - Stranger Cole's Toronto Roots, directed by local collaborators Graeme “DJ Gramera” Mathieson and Chris “Earl Grey” Flanagan. The film lets Stranger Cole tell his story in his own words, honouring him as a vital part of Toronto’s Reggae history.