Another unplanned first for this blog: two documentaries in a row. Of course, this one's entirely different. It's also the first Questlove-directed "jawn," because he's too Philadelphian to use "joint" like Spike Lee.
The Harlem Cultural Festival sure got overshadowed, not least because it conflicted in part with both Woodstock and the Apollo 11 mission. (Marketers called it "Black Woodstock" despite it beginning more than a month sooner.) But that's no reason the footage had to sit in storage for half a century before coming to light. It was still a significant event with a bunch of famous figures, including one band that also performed at Woodstock: Sly and the Family Stone.
How significant? The subtitle is (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised). To call it a revolution seems a slight exaggeration, but it certainly came amid a charged atmosphere. Attendees who were asked at the time saw the moon landing as, at best, impressive but personally irrelevant and, at worst, a waste of badly needed money. The government lent some financial support to the festival on the grounds that the concerts could help avert rioting, tho with the police not initially providing security, the Black Panthers saw fit to add their own. Thankfully, there appear to have been no clashes or other tragedies in connection.
Apart from SatFS, brands that were familiar to me included Stevie Wonder (drumming!), B.B. King, Gladys Knight and the Pips, the 5th Dimension, Nina Simone, the Staple Singers, Redd Foxx, and Jesse Jackson (it wasn't all music on stage). New to me -- but probably worth knowing about -- were the Chambers Brothers, Hugh Masekela, Mahalia Jackson, Chuck Jackson, Abbey Lincoln, Max Roach, Ray Barretto, Mongo Santamaria, the Edward Hawkins Singers, and Moms Mabley. I may have missed someone; it's hard to find a comprehensive list. We also get a few interview clips with celebrities who didn't perform then but have something to say. I'm rather annoyed at IMDb's deceptive cast order, starting with several who talk for mere seconds.
The music's mostly hot stuff. Sometimes we get to hear it for quite a while without overlaid commentary. That's not always a good thing: Both my parents got tired of the slow gospel segment. Me, I was about equally glad to listen to the singing or learn from the talking.
I'm sure it'd be a different viewing experience if we hadn't sat with a sparse, mostly White audience. Regardless, while SoS concerns one race especially, it speaks to all. It deserves to be taken seriously even as it entertains.
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