Scroll down or click here to access the audio tours!
Located on the Brunswick Avenue side of 481 Bloor St., come by and check out artist Komi Olaf’s completed mural, “The Band of Storytellers”.
Also known as the “Blue Mural, it pays homage to the history Brunswick House, which also housed Albert’s Hall, formerly one of Toronto’s most popular venues for jazz and blues. The mural fits into the Bloor Annex’s larger Street Revitalization Project and will complement the planned parkette well. The piano keys are fitted with NFC chips – you can use your Android phone to interact with the mural to learn more about the blues, the building, and the people who played there.
From the artist, Komi Olaf:
“The band of storytellers is an Afrofuturistic interpretation of the past. It features seven fictitious blue characters dressed as musicians, each playing a different instrument in a hall.
The theme of the painting seeks to represent and honour the musical history of this heritage building, by laying focus on Albert’s Hall era.
By the 1970s and 1980s, the upstairs room, known as Albert’s Hall after Albert Nightingale, became known as a venue for jazz and the blues in particular, and played host to musicians such as Blossom Dearie, Cab Calloway, Gordon Lightfoot, Oscar Peterson, Muddy Waters, Loretta Lynn, the Climax Jazz Band, Downchild, Blind John Davis, Dr. McJazz, Etta James, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Buddy Guy.
The juxtaposition of the cartoon looking characters, the musical elements and colours will draw onlookers to the piece and brighten their day.
The “Chiki’s” are a cross-pollination between African and African American Blues music. Their archetype was inspired by the 16th century Benin sculptures, Nok art and Ife bronzes.
Special thanks to @iamdonisha and kalkidan Assefa @drippin_soul.”
For more information on Komi Olaf, visit his page at .
Thanks to the property owners at the Brunswick House for providing the canvas, and to the City of Toronto through the Economic Development office for the funding this initiative.
Take an audio tour of the “The Band of Storytellers” mural on the Brunswick House!
These audio stories describe the deep significance of the mural titled “The Band of Storytellers” – also known as the “Blues Mural” located at 481 Bloor Street. The mural was created by artist and poet Komi Olaf with the help of his colleague Kalkidan Assefa. It depicts seven blues characters, described as ‘Chiki’s’ by Olaf, telling their stories through their varying musical instruments. These blues musicians have a simple and cartoon animation style appearance, inspired by Nok art and Ife bronzes as well as 16th century Benin sculptures from Nigeria.
There are several audio stories to choose from:
Visual Inspirations of The Band of Storytellers Mural
Narrated by Komi Olafimihan
These audio stories describe the deep significance of the mural titled “The Band of Storytellers” – also known as the “Blues Mural” located at 481 Bloor Street West. The mural was created by artist and poet Komi Olaf with the help of his colleague Kalkidan Assefa. It depicts seven blues characters, described as ‘Chiki’s’ by Olaf, telling their stories through their varying musical instruments. These blues musicians have a simple and cartoon animation style appearance, inspired by Nok art and Ife bronzes as well as 16th century Benin sculptures from Nigeria.
Jazz History of Brunswick
Narrated by Komi Olafimihan
Komi Olaf breaks down the historical significance of the Bloor-Annex area, particularly The Brunswick House. The story begins from its initial time serving as a hotel for early immigrants as well as labourers in the 1870s. Olaf continues to follow the history of the house architecturally, from when it was only a two-storey rough stone house, to a three-storey building with large windows in 1908. He mentions that during prohibition, the owner of the Brunswick House at the time, Kate Davidson, was fined for selling beer with more alcohol content than legally allowed during that period of time. The story concludes in the 1960s when the house was sold to two brothers and transformed into what it is most remembered for today, which is a highly animated place of gathering for youth to dance and indulge in live jazz and blues.
Black History of the Annex
Narrated by Norman Richmond
Norman Earl Richmond shares many stories of his experience as a Black-American journalist writing about music and politics in Toronto during the 60s. He shares his journey moving to Canada after refusing to serve for America in the Vietnam War. When he first moved to Toronto, he lived on Brunswick Avenue, allowing him to connect with many jazz musicians and poets at the time. In this audio story, he speaks to the community that made up the Bloor-Annex area – uniting different black immigrant groups coming from places such as the Caribbean, Ghana, and America.
Brunswick House Memories
Narrated by Norman Richmond
In this short clip, Norman Richmond provides a brief recollection of the people he saw during the 60s at The Brunswick House, including big names in the blues and R&B worlds such as Churck Berry and Big Joe Turner. Richmond goes on to discuss the racial power dynamics that were apparent at the time, causing the jazz and rhythm & blues scene to be controlled primarily by white artists.
Poem about Brunswick House
Recited by Komi Olafimihan
In this audio story, Komi Olaf presents a deeply immersive and transformative story on The Brunswick House and the history of the surrounding area. Komi’s storytelling provides a detailed illustration of the shifting form and function of what was described as “the meeting place”. This includes the different people that occupied the space over time, to showcase what it used to be, and what it is now. Overall, this powerful descriptive poem highlights the importance of recognizing the ways that The Brunswick House was valued by Jamaican and Caribbean immigrant communities of the Bloor-Annex area.
This project is part of I HeART Main Street, a program supporting Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) with the support they need to activate their main streets through public art and placemaking. This program engages BIAs, local artists and businesses across Ontario to create more vibrant and safe communities.
Project Type: Permanent Exhibit
Artist: Komi Olafimihan assisted by Kalkidan Assefa
Storyteller: Norman Richmond
Audio Artist: Saroja Ponnambalam
Artist Statement: The Band of Storytellers is an Afrofuturistic interpretation of the past. It features seven fictitious blue characters dressed as musicians, each playing a different instrument in a hall. The theme of the painting seeks to represent and honor the musical history of this heritage building, by laying focus on Albert’s Hall era.