Studio 17: The Lost Reggae Tapes screens @ Hot Docs Cinema, Aug 15

Studio 17 is the story of the Jamaican record shop run by Vincent Chin and wife Pat that became an important recording studio. 

Here's the scoop...

In downtown Kingston, Jamaica, in the early 60s, Vincent and Pat Chin—a Chinese Jamaican husband-and-wife team—started a tiny used record shop. Little did they know their venture would grow into Studio 17: a groundbreaking recording studio and production company that launched the careers of iconic reggae musicians such as Bob Marley and the Wailers, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Peter Tosh and many more. 

Decades later, original studio tapes from the golden age of reggae have been unearthed, providing the soundtrack (produced by London-based music journalist Reshma B) to this soulful music doc directed by Mark James. Vincent and Pat’s son and protégé, Clive Chin, recounts poignant stories from the birth of the Jamaican music industry to the 1970s political turmoil that forced the Chin family to flee to New York, as well as the still-unsolved 2011 murder of his son, music label director Joel Chin. This nostalgic treasure trove of music and stories charts the rise of reggae from its humble roots to one of the most popular music genres in the world.

Studio 17: The Lost Reggae Tapes screens at Toronto's Hot Docs Cinema (506 Bloor St. West) on Monday (August 15) at 7 pm Eastern. Director Mark James, executive producer Wael Kabbani, and music journalist and producer Reshma B will be present for a special post-screening Q&A. Get tickets right here here. Watch the trailer below.