And the Freedom Rides was my opportunity to do something about it, the late, great Congressman John Lewis said about his time as a Freedom Rider. The documentary, itself a time capsule of a city in flux, captures the Watts Summer Festival concert hosted by Stax Records at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Aug. 20, 1972. King and Celia Cruz at the Zaire '74 music festival, seen in the documentary "Soul Power.". Thank you. OTIzYjk4MmM5NWM0NzM3MWEzNmRhNmIyNGZhYjdkMzMzMGEwN2VmNGNmNmUw When he's not writing about movies or television, Philip can be found being chased by his three kids, telling his dogs to stop yelling at the mailman, or yelling about professional wrestling to his wife. And that's the thing. And you didn't even know that that was for sure true until 2015 or so. King? And are you ready to listen to all of the beautiful Black voices? And he had gotten rid of The Experience. The most eclectic gathering of Black people around the world is Afropunk. All rights reserved. 'It was an out of body experience': looking back at the Wattsstax music festival In 1972, the largely Black community of Watts came together for a giant music event from Stax Records,. That kind of emotion surfaces often in Summer of Soul, as the camera captures people who attended the festival more than 50 years ago, crying as they remember the power of seeing so many Black people in one place, celebrating Black culture. A lot of people thought they were white because they were considered very middle-of-the-road, songs like "Up, Up And Away.". MWFmMDFiM2ZkMTkzNGZjMmZlNTE0ZDZlOTA5NjQzZWQyMzM1NzI3ZTE4Y2Qx Its mix of music & ideals resonate now more than ever. Strawberries and Creem in Cambridge, UK. But yeah, that's one of the biggest mysteries of the family. Like, I'm still trying to figure out, like, where their one is. From the 1970s until today, this style of music emerged from Black, inner-city neighborhoods to become a mega-popular genre among white suburban and upper-class neighborhoods, too. It's just been great to talk with you again. Watch Woodstock: 3 Days That Changed Everything | Prime Video "I want to make sure black erasure doesn't happen during my lifetime and the film was an opportunity to work towards that cause.". (opens in new tab) So that's even unprecedented, because I'm used to, like, each background singer having their own microphone. (opens in new tab). And, you know, and I - in Marilyn McCoo - you know, it just opened the door because I realized that, oh, so this is sort of like when The Roots are performing and, you know, one night we're with Beck, the next night we're with Wu Tang Clan. But right before Mahalia Jackson went on stage, she asked Mavis Staples for a favor. Did he pay people on time? (opens in new tab), Trailblazing the country singer-songwriter Charley Pride, who passed away in December 2020, spent most of his life breaking down walls and opening doors for other Black artists in the world of country music with hits like Kiss an Angel Good Mornin, All I Have to Offer You (Is Me), and Im Just Me, the latter of which is also the name of the 2019 PBS documentary, Charley Pride: Im Just Me. How are they all doing this at the same time without an actual, like, rhythmic step? Her daughter, who co-produced and also appears onscreen, thinks the film gets her mom right, and we believe her. MDY4NDViZWJlMjYxYTIyYmFkNWYwOGIyNTE1YzFmZmViNWM2MThlZjE0NDE1 The film is about how that feeling was encoded in the music, and how it spread to the audience, and also from the audience. And as you've said, their church, the Penteostal Church, was very sorry that they were going commercial like this. In honor of Black History Month, we are celebrating these iconic voices with a quick yet comprehensive rundown of some of the best music documentaries you can watch right now with a Netflix. Essence Festival of Culture is held every year in the most hospitable city in America New Orleans. It's Baldwin saying, As long as we don't touch these core problems around the so-called American Dream, we can't have a common future." Baldwin is magnetic in this film; if youve not heard the way he speaks or arent familiar with the ferocity of his intelligence and wit, youll find it hard not to explore all his work after the film. Phone: 412.281.7711 Toll Free: 877.568.3744, Pittsburgh Celebrates Juneteenth Freedom Day. So, of course, in 2018, 2019, I believe, I did Henry Louis Gates' "Finding Your Roots.". MDhhMzYwZTg5MDExNzNhMWY5NDNkOTVjMjdhN2MyOTNhNjg4NjAxMWY2Y2I3 The 2023 Sol Blume lineup: Brent Faiyaz will. Stream Hitsville: The Making Of Motown on Showtime. ODMwYjc5ZmQxNzY1ZTQzMmVmODg0MjE4ZjBiNTA3MTFjMDg5OTMwNmM2Nzdk The TV veteran was approached over the years by. Spike Lee directed this documentary about the 1963 Birmingham, Alabama church bombing that killed four Black girls. Please refresh the page and try again. Welcome to Pittsburgh! Questlove directs this breathtaking chronicle of Black culture in a pivotal moment. Its called Afronation. And he explained to us that at the very beginning, the police didn't want to provide security for the festival, basically, because of what had happened the year before. Thank you for signing up to CinemaBlend. NTZmYWVkNTM0N2Q0M2QxYTI4NTdkZDU5ZDE4NGU0NzAyNjNlMzdhY2YyNWVm Ain't nothing wrong with that, is there? The gospel song was a favorite of civil rights leader Rev. Nina Simone, a criminally underappreciated musician who is perhaps best known these days for the song Feelin Good is the subject of this film, which opened the Sundance Festival in 2015. QUESTLOVE: OK. Crafted from footage of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival an event so filled with stars from soul, R&B, blues and jazz they called it the Black Woodstock Summer of Soul is a breathtaking chronicle of Black culture in a pivotal moment. The Forgotten "Black Woodstock" of 1969 Summer of Soul, Questlove's directorial debut, seeks to resurrect the memory of the Harlem Cultural Festival, a vital touchstone of Black music.. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. So every day, this is happening. QUESTLOVE: Pretty much, you know, a lot of it was just to jog their memory. A couple of hours were shown on local TV in New York. Whoa, yes I am. This PBS documentary series asks whether the Emancipation Proclamation really freed black people in the United States. I also found out that Jimi Hendrix tried to get on the festival as well and wasn't able to do it. NmE0ZTdkOTYxMGVjMTgxNTk1OWYxNmFiYjEwYjZjNDIwY2Q4Yzg5MzcwZmEy Your access to this site was blocked by Wordfence, a security provider, who protects sites from malicious activity. I do know that there were jazz festivals previous to this, but not to this very specific level in the inner city for Black people. So their response was basically like, we don't want to be anywhere near this because it's - we're going to be outnumbered and that sort of thing. "Because we wanted our people to know what we were about.". Rent/Buy Summer of Soul on Amazon. Woodstock (1970) Arguably the most culturally significant documentary on the list, seeing Woodstock is a rite-of-passage for any music festival zealot. Billed at Nigerias longest-running, indoor music festival, the Flytime Fest is a premium musical experience that features hundreds of major African artists and international acts on one stage. So, again, the whole family knew of this fact. In the summer of 1969 cameras captured a series of concerts in Harlem featuring artists who would go on to become musical legends, like Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone and Gladys Knight. Well what about plans for tomorrow? But, yeah. The winner of two Sundance Festival awards (and nominated for an Oscar! They say this festival is for the aunties, but wed like to think with events and activations happening all over the city, there is something for everybody. And they're wearing these - they're not wearing suits. So, OK, great. Conceived in 1966 and incorporated in 1968, the Watts Summer Festival is the oldest African American cultural festival in the United States. The Pitch: In 1969, the same summer as Woodstock, a different music festival played just 100 miles away in Harlem.It was the third annual Harlem Culture Festival, a weeks-long celebration of soul, Motown, blues, and gospel where nearly 300,000 people gathered and celebrated the sounds of Stevie Wonder, Mavis Staples, Nina Simone, and a host . Like, we've never been in front of a crowd like this before. There's one moment in the film when the crowd is pushing. And a large part of that story is included in the 2021 HBO documentary, Tina, which doesnt hold back one bit. NGQ0YmZiNTE2NWIyNTMxZGFjNjcyY2I1ZDliNjJhYjQzN2IwYzdkZjMwM2Rl Eventnoire is the premier platform where Black culture and events intersect connecting attendees and event organizers to the Black community. Questlove co-founded The Roots, which is, among other things, the house band for "The Tonight Show," where Questlove serves as the music director. Transcript. One Musicfest is an urban progressive music experience that gathers over 50,000 music lovers together for a variety of events in one weekend. But then once hip-hop came along, then it's like, oh, everything I learned, I'm just going to add in this this pot of stew I'm making. NjdlZTc1NjhiZjczMTQ1ZWQxNzlhYTg3MjkxZTY5NjQxMDdjOGZkY2UxNDgx Fan of the blues or interesting stories? My guest is Questlove. Questlove wrote about the period in Black music just after the festival in his book about "Soul Train." (SOUNDBITE OF DOCUMENTARY, "SUMMER OF SOUL"). And unfortunately, we can't play her performance. Alternatively click here to read more about us. Closely tied with Woodstock, this documentary analyses the commonalities between the original 1969 festival crowd and the attendees of the 25th and 30th-anniversary festivals, the latter of which was marred by violence, destruction, and multiple fires that broke out on the festival site. The lions share of the footage seen here, in one of the best movies on Hulu, sat in a box for 50 years before being re-discovered and turned into a beautiful examination of the pivotal moment in American pop culture that was largely unknown until now. (opens in new tab), A lot of people like to credit Bad Brains as one of the first major Black punk bands. '20,000 Species of Bees' star Sofa Otero becomes the youngest-ever winner of Berlin's Silver Bear for best leading performance. MjFmN2FiZDdhMmFhNWJjOGFlZGY2NmRhNmJlYmYwMGU3NDBhZmNmNDBiOTRj YjViMmU0ZTE4NWJjZTE3ODhiMTJiOGIwMmFkNzg4ZmE2OTZkYzRmNmEyNDRk The 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival featured some of the biggest names in Black music, but it had largely faded from history. eyJtZXNzYWdlIjoiYjNkMGY4YzY0MDUzNTM3ZTcxMDJiYjhhMGJiNzkwMDU1 And isnt that what we should all want, no matter who we are? "As far as I could see, it was just Black people," says screenwriter and producer Musa Jackson, who was a child when he attended the festival. (opens in new tab) And she's just standing almost perfectly still (laughter). And now you're finding out it's not even true. I mean, he was not, like, a big-name producer. Let's get back to my interview with Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson. Yes. Jesse Jackson and footage from the festival where Jackson tells the crowd Dr. King mentioned the song in his last words before he was shot. And our main purpose for traveling is just to bring and spread a little love. Essence Festival is one of the few festivals that is still held in a stadium setting and draws a crowd that loves Black music no matter if its City Girls or the Isley Brothers. In his 2014 documentary, Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown, award-winning documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney explores the life, career, and legacy of the Godfather of Soul with loads of archival footage from both on and off the stage, as well as interviews with his contemporaries and those who were impacted by his music. But it's nothing compared to today, where there's teams of dancers doing, like, acrobatic kind of dancing. Now it its 27th year, the American Black Film Festival is an annual event that empowers Black artists and showcases a wide range of entertainment content made by and about people of African descent. You haven't booked a hotel yet?!?! This series is an excellent primer, and if you dont know SNCC from SCLC, this series is for you. Stream Miss Sharon Jones! What do you want to do first? That was the big drama. Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson's look back at the legendary 1969 concert events in Harlem that came to be known as Black Woodstock. The United Kingdoms liveliest urban festival may be young, but it is mighty with the hottest Black artists from every continent. But he confirmed it when he was near death. (opens in new tab), Theres a strong case to be made for 1994 being one of the best years in the history of hip hop. Taking place in 1969 Harlem, the doc follows a magical six weeks of summer during the Harlem Culture Festival. B. Whoa, yes I am. But, yeah, Mahalia Jackson was the most - she was the highest paid at 10,000. For instance, Ali has an easier time bonding with Africans than Foreman did; theres a dictator in Zaire who is very interested in the fight. GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. But we knew Mahalia Jackson.". GROSS: Yeah, she sang "Mister Backlash," which is also just a very political song. And this is really a terrific performance. Tip: Your outfits will be admired, but still dress comfortably and stay hydrated. Were you already a big Nina Simone fan? (opens in new tab). Billy knew exactly what to do because Billy sang gospel in his teen years. I mean, there are plenty of artists that got blackballed or dealt with for speaking out their political views. Like, they're doing - it's almost like watching yoga to rhythm. One night we're with, you know, like, Soundgarden, the next night - or Rage Against the Machine. We didn't know anything about therapists. MGYwZjNlOGJiZGYwZmE4ZmNkZjQ2NTE2MTIzNDQwYTc3NDgwYzcyMmYwMzA3 Crafted from footage of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival - an event so filled with stars from soul, R&B, blues and jazz they called it the Black Woodstock - Summer of Soul is a breathtaking. WSF and Stax (along with sponsor Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company) became the first groups to promote a sold-out black event of this magnitude. The historic-but-forgotten event the film documents is the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, a series of six concerts held in Harlem's Mount Morris Park, which is now called Marcus Garvey Park. So, yeah, in a way it's genuine love, but in a lot of ways, it's survival. Stream Tina on HBO Max. I'm also the fortunate person because, you know, technically, my great-great-great grandfather was the last person on the Clotilda. Where to watch: Netflix and YouTube here. Director Hal Tulchin filmed all the performances: Six different free shows over six weeks. Comedian Chris Rock was inspired to make this film when his daughter asked why she didnt have good hair. In this generally well-received documentary (except for some Black women, who side-eye Rock for making it), Rock explores Black hair and the hair weave business, going to India to find out where the hair comes from and how its sold to American buyers. Summer Of Soul (2021) The Notorious B.I.G., during his lifetime. The 7th Annual Black Music Honors, hosted by Grammy-winner LeToya Luckett and comedian DeRay Davis, took place in Atlanta at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center on May 19 and will premiere. However, this documentary starts with first-time director Lolis Eric Elie, who just wants to repair his Sixth Ward New Orleans home after Hurricane Katrina. And then Mavis Staples had sang with her family, The Staple Singers. And the church, you know, really wanted to, again, blackball them because it was as controversial - I mean, the same way that we look at Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B's "WAP" - that's how controversial the church felt that gospel singers singing in secular environments was, like, it was a sin against God. QUESTLOVE: I would say probably the Sly and the Family Stone performance is probably the most shocking to watch at the time, because, you know, up until that point, Black entertainers were hyper-aware of their presence in the world, even if it was the professional sense. This is FRESH AIR. Wherever you experience Afronation, youll be sure to have multiple stages creating vibes from day to night and a beach nearby to make waves during your vacation. Like, I don't think I would have naturally had come to - a great example is in order to watch "Billie Jean" on MTV, I had to sit through four hours of Def Leppard QUESTLOVE: Of Phil Collins or Thomas Dolby. 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