Personal narratives and documents are used to show how black people were put in positions that were close to slavery even after the Civil War, primarily through forced labor. So I want to play an excerpt of their performance - of The 5th Dimension's performance - at the Harlem Cultural Festival. And then, blammo (ph). Watch on. And so the fact that Sly the Family Stone is performing in their street clothes is such a shock to the audience. If you are a longtime fan of James Brown or are just now getting into his music, this is a documentary you cant miss. YmQwNTM3YTQ0NzRhMDZiN2NkYWM5NDM4ZjhlZjliMzZiOTczODk0ODEzMWU4 It was very moving to see the significance that this had for her and for Billy Davis. This is FRESH AIR. Opening to rave. Over the course of modern music history, Black artists like the late Aretha Franklin, Miles Davis, Nas, and others have revolutionized their respective genres and have become household names in the process. 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. 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. All rights reserved. The film, based on the book Freedom Riders: 1961, chronicles these young people and and explores how the movement started and the ramifications of what they did. Oh, happy day. As he works the kit, clips of news reports and pundits surface talking about the crucial political and social issues facing Black people in 1969. The festival is very connected to the community, so if youre a local, expect a few additional events and parties involving the One Musicfest brand throughout the year. Yes. So Tony Lawrence, he was the host of the festival, but also the producer of it. Stream Summer of Soul on Hulu. This is FRESH AIR. QUESTLOVE: He totally did. Taking place in 1969 Harlem, the doc follows a magical six weeks of summer during the Harlem Culture Festival. Like, to look at anyone over the age of 22, 23, they're looking at them like they're aliens, like wait, we've never seen an intersectional band. Rent/Buy Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool on Amazon. Fest dates are April 29 and 30, 2023. B. By Scott Roxborough Europe Bureau Chief For his 11th feature, the . What started as a one-time event in 1995 has become one of the longest-running, most attended Black festivals in the country. Whoa, I heard it through the grapevine. Let me study them since I know them so well now, you know. GROSS: Or find him, yeah. on Amazon. But really, it's just the audacity to dream. And even after that episode came out, my family was still like, we don't care what he says. However, in this Emmy-nominated documentary, which covers the last two years of the civil rights icons life, you learn that he was also interested in protesting the Vietnam War, the Memphis sanitation strike and the Poor Peoples Campaign. 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. 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. 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. All aspects of the fight from planning and the fight itself are discussed, as are the other issues at play. NjUxMzBjZWQ3YTM0YzIxMDE5YTRhNjY5NmJkOWVlMzc5MzFhMDliNDg1YmRk But, yeah. And we were hoping that they would receive us. Dark Girls even spawned a sequel; Dark Girls 2 can be seen on the Oprah Winfrey Network. The film is about how that feeling was encoded in the music, and how it spread to the audience, and also from the audience. The 11th annual BlackStar Film Festival was back at the University of Pennsylvania's Penn Live Arts at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts with a 76-film lineup representing 27 countries. 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. And The 5th Dimension is featured there. 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. One of the only festivals to get Childish Gambino to do his full tour set at the FedEx stadium that one year, this musical experience is surrounded by Black-owned food and opportunities for social impact in the community. And he's saying, you know, basically telling him to stop. OTZmNjdhZDczMWE1YjE4ZWQ5NzRjMGMxOWQ1MGQxZjI2ODVkMTkwZjhlODc3 The police ruled Johnsons death a suicide, but friends were so adamant that shed never do that that in 2018, the case was re-opened. Stream Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell on Netflix. BLACK MUSIC SILENT DISCO 4 mar, 19h Itinerant. NzQ2MjJjNWNhNjU4NzBlOWM5MDEwMGM3NjYzMWI2ZGI5YjI3MzllNWJhMzFk Questlove co-founded The Roots, which is, among other things, the house band for "The Tonight Show," where Questlove serves as the music director. But Questlove, the director of a new documentary about a pathbreaking Harlem music festival that took place over . And because Rock, the directors and the writers of this film arent women, its a good reminder that representation is always important. 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. GROSS: Let me reintroduce you here because it's time for another break. | by Mark Montgomery French | Festival Peak 500 Apologies, but something went wrong on our end. Did you play the tape back for all the performers to get their reaction? 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. Al Sharpton says, earlier in the film. But watch a little longer, as Wonder sits behind a drumkit to whip off a crackling drum solo. QUESTLOVE: There's excitement because, like, Sly wasn't even supposed to be on the bill. Det Svarte Alvor is a Norwegian documentary about black metal music and satanism, church fires in the 1990s, and the assassination of ystein Aarseth. So, yeah, in a way it's genuine love, but in a lot of ways, it's survival. GROSS: Congratulations on the movie. 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. Tip: Its best to get into the city early to beat the crowds, so you can get a head start of the Creole eats and waterfront views. And he was working with the Band of Gypsys, which is QUESTLOVE: Buddy Miles and Billy Cox. Strawberries and Creem in Cambridge, UK. This festival is a cant miss if you love Pharells discography, and can fathom the surprises of who he will bring out to perform with him. The star-studded global music festival has reunited rap duo The Clipse, musical icon Missy Elliott with Timbaland and Magoo, as well as a number of other reminiscent artists that Pharell is affiliated with. says McCoo, tearing up while she watched footage of the group performing another hit, "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In. Yeah. Your access to this site was blocked by Wordfence, a security provider, who protects sites from malicious activity. Have you thought about how music choreography has changed and how expectations have changed about what you're going to see on stage? GROSS: Do you know if he delivered on his promises? 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. Just documenting their jaw-dropping live work would add up to an amazing concert film. And so we'll also hear a little voice-over in this, too. The film also reflects significant shifts in Black culture and expression at that pivotal moment. Like, who knew that you could get Sly and the Family Stone for just $2,500 back then (laughter). GROSS: Yeah. Fall season in Atlanta brings lots of color and a slew of high-profile events like the BET Hip Hop Awards, A3C, and a festival favorite. GROSS: That remains up in the air. 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. Stream Devil At The Crossroads: A Robert Johnson Story on Netflix. 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. The best Black music festivals carve out safe spaces for the Black community to celebrate life, culture, and their heritage through music. Recording engineer Tom Dowd started at Atlantic Records in the 1950s, and gained a reputation within the music business as a technical wizard, who could solve the logistical challenges of. (opens in new tab). GROSS: Yeah. GROSS: Had there been a concert series like this before with tens of thousands of people, Black people and people of color in a Black neighborhood, like Harlem, before? Not everybody's going to church. P art concert film and part historical record, the documentary focuses on the massive Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969, a celebration of Black history, culture and fashion that featured . 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. 6. In this documentary, director Questlove unearths footage from the festival. The tape sat in his basement for about 50 years. Transcript. But, you know, it's just beautiful to see that, you know, two generations singing together and Mahalia representing traditional gospel and Mavis representing gospel but really morphing into what they would call message music. 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. GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. Let's get back to my interview with Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson. Our producer said, OK, Billy, take them to church. And now you're finding out it's not even true. The winner of two Sundance Festival awards (and nominated for an Oscar! The Harlem Cultural Festival was filled with stars from soul, R&B, blues and jazz and drew more than 300,000 people. Take a look at our list of the following Black music festivals from around the world and start saving for your ticket. '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,. 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. This film could be a good companion piece to 13th. GROSS: The festival represented different strains of Black music - you know, jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, Latin music. And then theres the 2019 documentary Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, which does an incredible job of unpacking the improbable and mythical story of the jazz pioneer. Around the world and start saving for your ticket, black music festival documentary knew that could... Scott Roxborough Europe Bureau Chief for his 11th feature, the to 13th Questlove, the director a... 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