(opens in new tab) Of course, in the history of that show, only two people can trace their slave ship and the country and sort of the area from which they came from. Baby, won't you listen to me? Summer of Soul (.Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) The directorial debut of Roots drummer Questlove, Summer of Soul chronicles the legendary - and somewhat forgotten - 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival that celebrated Black music, culture, and pride. His new documentary is called "Summer Of Soul." GROSS: The festival represented different strains of Black music - you know, jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, Latin music. The film lines up an impressive array of voices for new interviews, including Chris Rock, Sheila E., Lin-Manuel Miranda and his father, Luis Miranda. This is FRESH AIR. Sometimes we were called the Black group with the white sound. So, yeah, in a way it's genuine love, but in a lot of ways, it's survival. Searchlight Pictures/20th Century Studios, Questlove Discusses His Must-See New Doc, 'Summer Of Soul', Questlove's Roots: A 'Meta' Memoir Of A Lifetime In Music, Questlove Aims To Save Your Brain: 'Creativity Might Be In Jeopardy', Questlove On Prince, Doo-Wop And The Food Equivalent Of The 'Mona Lisa', 'Food Is Social Adhesive,' So Questlove Is Hosting A Virtual Potluck. ZjM3MWJlZmJiNWQzNjhkZmZmMTU5MTZlY2NjMzAzM2VjOGY1YTBmYzRmMGEx ODFiYjVlOGU0OTVjOTBmYjYxMmI2YTk2ZWVlN2JmY2Y0Y2VlZmJhNzJkZTQw "Because we wanted our people to know what we were about.". Questlove wrote about the period in Black music just after the festival in his book about "Soul Train." The 2015 documentary, Miss Sharon Jones!, which premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival, focuses on the final stages of Jones life and career, and shows the tireless and fearless singer undergo chemotherapy while still keeping up with touring obligations, never once losing her spirit (or allowing the cancer to get the better of her). Whoa, yes I am. NDBhMDE1M2U0YTcwZWU5MTMwODM2MmJmZTQ4YTNjM2UwOWJjYzUxMDQ3NDVh And he's saying, you know, basically telling him to stop. QUESTLOVE: And so I had a nice little tradeoff. THE 5TH DIMENSION: (Singing) Let the sunshine, let the sunshine in. Thats why Black documentaries can be so exciting; there are so many things to learn about. The festival is commonly held outside during the host locations hottest times of the year. And he's the one who got everybody to sign on. (opens in new tab), It is hard to think of a label or entity in American music history that had as much of an impact on American pop culture as Motown Records, which launched the careers of Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, The Temptations, The Jackson 5, and countless others. Just over 27 years ago, the world lost Kurt Cobain. 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. OTZmNjdhZDczMWE1YjE4ZWQ5NzRjMGMxOWQ1MGQxZjI2ODVkMTkwZjhlODc3 The previous couple of Harlem Cultural Festivals were pretty small. And New Orleans had, arguably, the largest group of them. Originally broadcast July 2021. YTA4NjQ5OGQwYjg4NWU5NzdkMmE1NTA4ZWJkOTE0ZGE1ZDYyNjkzYjc3YjEz The documentary, about the long-overlooked Harlem Cultural. QUESTLOVE: Oh, with Sly and the Family Stone. And. The roster of performers representing different strains of Black and Latino music included Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, Nina Simone, B.B. One of the film's most affecting moments comes when gospel legends Mahalia Jackson and Mavis Staples team up to sing "Take My Hand, Precious Lord." Overall, the film focuses on how frustrated Baldwin is with the inability of America to solve its race problems. QUESTLOVE: He totally did. And she and her music director wrote the song. Stream A Band Called Death on Prime Video (with Fandor Channel). And somehow, Lee got former GovernorGeorge Wallace to be interviewed for the film. https://beacons.ai/mmfrench Follow That particular moment that we just saw with Marilyn McCoo, I realized something. But the skilled guitarist and songwriter has not been forgotten--partly because of . Additionally, there are a ton of different summits and sessions to attend during the day before getting your groove on in the Superdome. You're a dreamer when it works out, you're a hustler when it doesn't (laughter). Oscars Best Picture Winners Best Picture Winners Sundance Film Festival Independent Spirit Awards Black History Month SXSW STARmeter Awards Awards Central Festival Central All Events. They were nothing like this. So I believe that when you see her crying, that's the exhaust feeling of a life of code switching sort of to make people comfortable. And so in their minds, they were sort of like, you guys are absolutely crazy to - you know, this is like a keg of dynamite. GROSS: Do you know if he delivered on his promises? But he confirmed it when he was near death. And suddenly, all this other music is seeping into me. It was free and open to the public. Its mix of music & ideals resonate now more than ever. He directed the new concert documentary, "The Summer Of Soul," which features performances from and interviews about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, which presented top performers including Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, Nina Simone, Gladys Knight and the Pips, B.B. Thank you for signing up to CinemaBlend. He was, at the time, I believe, a young teenager. I'm Terry Gross. Black gospel music is often portrayed as uplifting, an expression of joy in faith. There are few, if any, hip hop artists who could stand toe-to-toe with Christopher Wallace, a.k.a. If you cant help but listen to the one hit wonders of the 90s and 2000s radio on a daily basis or you just have that one artist from your past you must see live before they really retire, join their waitlist, because tickets usually sell out quickly. She notes fans of their hits, like "Up, Up and Away," sometimes thought the group was white until they saw an album cover or watched them perform live. Alternatively click here to read more about us. Whoa, I heard it through the grapevine. So, yeah, it was even risky for those well-loved gospel acts that we know. The City of Pittsburgh is a world-renowned hub for Jazz Music and the birthplace of internationally renown Jazz Artist such as: George Benson,Art Blakey, Stanley Turrentine, Billy Eckstine, Lena Horne, Earl Fatha Hines, Roger Humphries, Joe Negri, Ahmad Jamal and countless more. The most eclectic gathering of Black people around the world is Afropunk. There was a problem. GROSS: So that was Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis speaking over their performance - over The 5th Dimension's performance of "The Age Of Aquarius," which was a big hit for them. Like, it's juggling plates in the kitchen, like, 20 plates at a time. And it's like - it's hand gestures and, like, steps to the side, synchronized. And he was just joking, like, because I was happy. The Harlem Cultural Festival attracted everyone from Stevie Wonder and Nina Simone to Jesse Jackson and. Let the sunshine, let it shine. All rights reserved. This documentary series follows the humble beginnings of hip-hop and follows the music all the way to the sounds and celebs of today. ZTEwYThkMjJlYzE0ZGNkOTMzYmI1M2M1ODEzYzM0ZDU2OTAwODE0OTliZWFj On top of bringing us the best musical performances, these multi-day festivals typically include unique food courts, opportunities for networking, and after parties youll never forget. King, Ray Barretto, The Temptations' former frontman David Ruffin, The 5th Dimension, and more. Its a look at black culture during one of the most volatile times in U.S. history. '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,. There is no denying James Browns place in the history of American music (as well as American history) thanks to the radical changes he brought to soul and rock and roll throughout the second half of the 20th century. Buy Nas: Time Is Illmatic on Amazon. When I get to heaven - oh, happy day - I'm gonna spread the news - oh, happy day. MDhhMzYwZTg5MDExNzNhMWY5NDNkOTVjMjdhN2MyOTNhNjg4NjAxMWY2Y2I3 8. Nina Simone probably - like, at least for my generation, growing up, the artists that we saw evolve the most in that way was Prince. And now you're finding out it's not even true. "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. 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. If this sounds like the remix work of a master DJ, that's because it is. We never seen - wait. If youre all about dancing to Amapiano, singing Afrobeat, and taking Instagram friendly pics in front of an African aesthetic this is the festival for you. It took me by surprise, I must say, when I found out yesterday. And so that was it. Questlove is also the co-founder of the band The Roots, which is the house band of "The Tonight Show," where Questlove is music director. The overall programming featured in-person and online . QUESTLOVE: I'm like, I wouldn't even pay that to my opening DJ set. You will receive a verification email shortly. King? Create,Discover & Experience EventsFor The Culture At Eventnoire. It was the ultimate Black barbecue.". And that's the thing. Like, we've never been in front of a crowd like this before. | by Mark Montgomery French | Festival Peak 500 Apologies, but something went wrong on our end. Don't you know that I heard it through the grapevine? And after seven or eight times of it coming on, you know these songs. In his documentary, "The Story of the Ozark Music Festival: Three Days of Sodom and Gomorrah in Sedalia, Missouri," Lujin travels back to the summer of '74 . Were you already a big Nina Simone fan? NDZiMzljNjRmNTMxZjRiOGI5YzNjYWQ1MWQxYTJhMGQwNWQ2ZDhiOCIsInNp Tip: Try to get involved with their community service if youre in the area. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. Add in a carnival float and smaller stages for more acoustic sounds, and this festival is really setting the tone for a bright future in the kingdom. NzQ2MjJjNWNhNjU4NzBlOWM5MDEwMGM3NjYzMWI2ZGI5YjI3MzllNWJhMzFk But watch a little longer, as Wonder sits behind a drumkit to whip off a crackling drum solo. And that's their only view of somebody they have not seen in 50 years. Please click the video above or the mixcloud link / button below to watch our virtual show. The Notorious B.I.G., during his lifetime. They never had a photo of him. And their whole disposition was basically like, you know, you must wear a tuxedo all the time. And I want to play a little bit of that because, you know, Marilyn McCoo just seems - and she's like the lead singer of the group - she just seems - you film her watching the video of her performance then, and she talks about how important it was for them to perform in front of a Black audience. We know that he had one son and that's it, and only because of, like - I believe, like, you know, he was also trying to establish himself as a singer and a recording career. 0:57. Everyones learned so much about Martin Luther King Jr. Its easy to think that you know everything there is to know. When we come together, it breeds an experience founded on our cultural significance and rhythmic contribution. Directors Michael Raspatello Brent Kado (co-director) Writers Michael Feferman Michael Raspatello Stars Joe Bogdan (voice) Jill Brown Rick Farman We had a kind of a paper trail. New York, How do you get Gladys Knight? I'm also the fortunate person because, you know, technically, my great-great-great grandfather was the last person on the Clotilda. You could've told me and said that you were loving somebody else. Why is - like, a white guy is the drummer in a Black group? We'll talk more after a break. By 1969, the country had already endured the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.; the film suggests one reason city officials backed the festival was in hope the celebration would prevent rioting on the anniversary of King's murder. Questlove co-founded The Roots, which is, among other things, the house band for "The Tonight Show," where Questlove serves as the music director. This documentary explores how brown women navigate a society that ignores or demeans them. Summer Of Soul (2021) QUESTLOVE: OK. QUESTLOVE: Yeah, it's evolved now. King and Celia Cruz at the Zaire '74 music festival, seen in the documentary "Soul Power.". 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