Toronto Blues Society

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The Toronto Blues Society is a provincially funded Art Service Organization based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1985, a Board of Directors governs the Society.

The Toronto Blues Society monthly newsletter, MapleBlues, is well known throughout the international blues community. The TBS also runs The Maple Blues Awards.

The Toronto Blues Society (TBS) was formed in 1985, by Derek Andrews, David Barnard and John Valenteyn. They wanted to ensure that blues music, an indigenous North American art form, was guaranteed a continued presence in Toronto. Although the blues scene at the time was thriving, it had almost disappeared during the late 1970s disco era. This suggested the need for an organization that would work to create a climate in which the opportunities for live performances, radio airplay and national touring that can make a career in music viable were being made available to blues musicians. Interest in the organization was immediate, and a paid membership of over 500 was established within two years.

The TBS is governed by a working Board of Directors, has a paid Office and Events Coordinator and Grants Officer, and a large core of volunteers that is continually renewing. Self-generated revenue from memberships, advertising and fundraising has been supplemented by funding from government, foundations and corporation.

Since the organization's inception over two decades ago, the TBS has experienced tremendous growth in terms of its structure, services and programming. The Toronto Blues Society's monthly publication, MapleBlues, is well known throughout the international blues community. The TBS website is an indispensable portal for blues fans, with an online edition of the newsletter and links to hundreds of other Canadian blues artists and resources. The TBS created the Online BluesBook directory and the MapleBlues listserve, an online news group for the Canadian blues community.

The Maple Blues Awards has become a national blues event with an annual gala at Toronto's Mod Club Theatre. The TBS Talent Search has attracted up-and-coming blues bands from across the country and provided a launching pad for many new artists. The TBS programs a diverse array of activities that includes workshops, a Blues in the Schools program, the Annual Women's Blues Revue, concerts, showcases and community outreach events, provides consultation to musicians and the music industry, and advocacy on behalf of the blues community. As the Toronto Blues community grows, the TBS continues to find new ways to promote this music that is so deeply connected to the North American spirit.