Deep City: The Birth of the Miami Sound

O Cinema is proud to partner with HistoryMiami Museum’s CultureFest 305 – celebrating what makes Miami, Miami! As part of the festival, we’re thrilled to offer a FREE virtual screening of DEEP CITY: THE BIRTH OF THE MIAMI SOUND!

Before K.C and the Sunshine Band made audiences “Shake, Shake, Shake” before Gloria Estefan’s rhythmic Miami Sound Machine scorched the airways, before Luther Campbell’s raunchy 2 Live Crew made America cringe, South Florida had Deep City Records.

In the mid-60s, Miami had a burgeoning soul scene to rival Motown in Detroit or Stax in Memphis. Started by producers Johnny Pearsall and Willie Clarke, Deep City Records was Florida’s first black-owned record label. With its unique blend of Caribbean rhythm and marching-band cadences, Deep City was churning out the best soul music south of the Mason Dixon, creating what would later be termed, the “Miami Sound”. In their prime, Deep City produced exquisite artists with top-notch sounds including Clarence ‘Blowfly’ Reid, Betty Wright, Paul Kelly, and Helene Smith. While they may not be household names, all had hit songs and their influence spread further than their own fame.

An official selection of SXSW and Miami Film Festival, DEEP CITY: THE BIRTH OF THE MIAMI SOUND is a fascinating look at a forgotten portion of Miami’s and American music history.