By Miv Evans
This documentary is the
digital resurrection of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. The footage has been edited with narration
referencing that time. What could have simply been a concert film becomes
African American history in the making. It’s
an unearthed treasure that’s destined to become the favorite memorabilia of
millions.
The concert creator, Tony
Lawrence, held a series of summer concerts at Harlem’s Mount Morris Park. He had convinced the mayor, John Lindsey, they
were what the community needed. He was
proved correct when more than 300,000 attended.
The
events were filmed but, after that summer, the 40 hours of footage sat in a
basement for 50 years. This incredible
event was lost – until now.
Rescued music included
Motown
pop, jazz, Afrobeat, blues, gospel, psychedelic funk and, of course, soul. The line-up was ‘sixties fabulous’. Everyone
wanted a piece of Harlem’s beating heart.
Mahalia Jackson; Mavid Staples; Sly and the Family Stone; Nina Simone;
B.B. King; the Staple Singers; the 5th Dimension; Ray Baretto; Max
Roach: Abbey Lincoln; Hugh Masekela; Mongo Santamaria; Babatunde Olatunji; ex-Temptations
David Ruffin; Gladys Knight and the Pips and Stevie Wonder were on the bill. With the Black Panthers providing security, the cast
was complete.
The famed Woodstock Festival
took place in the same summer, only 100 miles away. Both audiences represented communities on the
brink of watershed countercultures, but only Woodstock received press coverage.
Harlem was virtually ignored by every outlet of the mainstream media. Footage from Woodstock was edited into a movie
that received global distribution. Peace
and love were the ‘new thing’. But the material for the crudely described ‘Black Woodstock’ had no bidders.
It was the
Generation X musician Ahmire “Questlove” Thompson, who discovered the footage
did, in fact, still exist. It was meticulously
restored and the original artists were invited to take a look. Their reactions to watching their young
selves is priceless. They’re the Baby
Boomers who followed the Silent Generation - and they’re making the most
exquisite noise!
Directed by Ahmire
Thompson
*Thompson is a legendary American
musician. This is his debut as a
filmmaker. He’s a songwriter, disc
jockey, journalist, drummer and front-man for the Hip Hop band The Roots.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k99XO-UE5AQ
Produced by
Concordia Studios.
www.concordia.studio
Premiered and opening
film at Sundance Film Festival January 28th, 2021