1969 featured the Harlem Cultural Festival. It was dubbed the ‘Black Woodstock’ with performances by Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder and Gladys Knight and the Pips.
Footage from that festival is finally seeing the light of day thanks to Questlove. His new documentary ‘Summer of Soul’ made its debut at Sundance’s opening night.
He used 40 hours of footage that sat in a TV producer’s basements for decades. That producer tried to sell the footage to studios but was turned down. He died in 2017 and the footage was found again.
A synopsis for the films reads:
In 1969, during the same summer as Woodstock, a different music festival took place 100 miles away. More than 300,000 people attended the summer concert series known as the Harlem Cultural Festival. It was filmed, but after that summer, the footage sat in a basement for 50 years. It has never been seen. Until now.
Summer Of Soul is a stunning unearthed treasure destined to become a pillar of American music and African American history. In his striking debut as a filmmaker, the legendary musician Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson presents this transporting documentary—part concert film, part historical record—about an epic event that radiated the wholesale reevaluation of Black history, culture, fashion, and music. This rich tapestry deftly incorporates an unforgettable musical revue that includes many rare gems, such as a Stevie Wonder drum solo and a duet between Mahalia Jackson and Mavis Staples. Summer Of Soul shines a light on the importance of history to our spiritual well-being and stands as a testament to the healing power of music.
Questlove did a DJ ‘After Party’ celebrating the premiere. Watch it below:
