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Zaire 74' Music Festival

basicbasic 10 Posts
edited July 2009 in Strut Central
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/05/movies/05pare.html?8dpc I'm excited to see some clips from this. Amazing line up for sure.

  Comments

  • UnherdUnherd 1,880 Posts
    Wow, thanks for posting. Really hoping as much of that footage as possible sees the light of day..

    The Bill Withers and Ray Barretto parts sound particularly amazing..
  • basicbasic 10 Posts
    Just found the trailer. Gotta love a topless Bill Withers.

  • ElectrodeElectrode Los Angeles 3,130 Posts
    I think there already was a thread about this a month or so back. Anyhow, I'm seeing this as soon as I get off of work on Friday.
  • basicbasic 10 Posts


  • FrankFrank 2,373 Posts
  • Strider79itStrider79it 1,176 Posts

    I read Brown and Withers had a fight... reportedly the first telling to the second "you ain't shit and you can't sing shit"
  • willie_fugalwillie_fugal 1,862 Posts
    Can anyone give some advice on how I organize a screening of this in my city?
  • davidwingatedavidwingate 748 Posts
    this film is the truth! I saw a screening of this last year around this time.... the scene with the ray barretto learning some congas techniques and teaching some himself to some of the local african musicians in the street was priceless!!!

    amir
  • knewjakknewjak 1,231 Posts
    I caught the DC premiere last month. Fred Wesley was there too.
    The entire documentary never leaves 1974 (ie no modern shots, no narration).
    Very entertaining, very interesting.
  • knewjakknewjak 1,231 Posts

    I read Brown and Withers had a fight... reportedly the first telling to the second "you ain't shit and you can't sing shit"

    if this does exist, it wasnt in the film. Bonus features perhaps?
  • holmesholmes 3,532 Posts
    If my weekend goes to plan I should be seeing this tomorrow afternoon. Can't wait.
  • disco_chedisco_che 1,115 Posts
    I saw the movie a few months ago on a documentary movie festival in Munich and it was truely great from beginning to end.
    It was shot by the same team that did the original Zaire footage of "When We Where Kings". I remember something like "Soul Power" was made by the guy who edited "When We Were...".
    My favorite scenes where when all the musicians were together on the plane getting high and the Fania All-Stars were jamming. Good Vibrations.
    Also Manu Dibango playing sax in the street communicating musically with a bunch of streetkids.

    If you have the chance to see this on the big screen - don't miss it.
  • ElectrodeElectrode Los Angeles 3,130 Posts
    The outro by JB after the credits was great. BB King looked a little disappointed after "Thrill Is Gone" for some strange reason. Stewart Levine stoned out of his dome with the Fania crew practicing on the plane and Sister Sledge backstage ("In America, you could get arrested for that!") were my favorite parts
  • Strider79itStrider79it 1,176 Posts

    I read Brown and Withers had a fight... reportedly the first telling to the second "you ain't shit and you can't sing shit"

    if this does exist, it wasnt in the film. Bonus features perhaps?

    I read it on here :

  • youngEINSTEINyoungEINSTEIN 2,443 Posts
    can't wait.

    peace, stein. . .
  • davidwingatedavidwingate 748 Posts
    yeah man, that scene was crazy with bb king playing the guitar, larry harlow playing a pepsi can, and celia cruz tapping her heel on the ceiling of the plane to the beat...you certainly couldn't that now!

    amir
  • holmesholmes 3,532 Posts
    just got home from seeing this, great stuff, a really inspirational film.
  • leisurebanditleisurebandit 1,006 Posts
    definitely looking forward to this! just checked the website and it looks like i have to wait til september for it to come to my town :/
  • UnherdUnherd 1,880 Posts
    Saw this Saturday, and I gotta say, I haven't walked out of a theater with that big of grin in a while. Really well put together from start to finish, too many incredible moments to name. SEE THIS FILM

    New Yorkers, this is playing at Lincoln Square till Thursday...
  • FrankFrank 2,373 Posts
    I'm def gonna cop the DVD

    another cool clip:
  • bassiebassie 11,710 Posts
    I'm def gonna cop the DVD

    Yea! Given all the things that didn't make the final cut, I can't wait to see the extras.
  • UnherdUnherd 1,880 Posts
    Yeah, if there's one thing to say its that they could've made it longer and had a little more of the . It was a really well made summation of the tremendous effort involved in organizing and staging the show, and the impact people felt it had on their lives, from the performers and organizers down to the locals, but I could've easily watched another hour or more if I got to see more of each act.

    I'll probably cop the DVD regardless, but I would love to spring for a deluxe multi-disc set of the complete run.

    One more thing, anyone remember the name of the African performer, the dude who had the two dancers with him. Don't really know how else to describe it, pretty sure it was after Miriam, and it was real funky..
  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    Is there a list of showtimes for each city? I didn't see much on the 'Net.
  • UnherdUnherd 1,880 Posts
    Google movie search is how i found the NY showings, but they don't seem to have any showings listed for Chicago (or Philly).

    Hope this builds up some steam, the 7:45 Saturday screening I went to was almost sold out.
  • davidwingatedavidwingate 748 Posts
    when i went to see it in may of last year, the guy who did when we were kings said that there was not a lot of footage of the concert that survived. he said that they only had 100 hours of footage...that may sound like a lot but in the film world that's nothing.

    amir
  • bassiebassie 11,710 Posts
    from the exchange I saw at the Toronto Film Festival between Gast (dir. When We Were Kings) and Levy-Hinte (dir. Soul Power), there may be some clearance issues. Apparently the version they screened at TIFF was not fully cleared....so who know where all the extra footage stands in that regard.
  • davidwingatedavidwingate 748 Posts
    hey miss, good to hear from you. kon and i maybe coming up there to t dot before the end of the summer....

    amir
  • bassiebassie 11,710 Posts
    Hey There - I'll definitely look out for it! Maybe we can do a SoulStrut - Toronto Chapter dinner or clink glasses at the very least.
  • davidwingatedavidwingate 748 Posts
    that's what's up...will keep you posted for sure!
  • SklarSorensenSklarSorensen 21 Posts
    Do any of the Zairian musicians make an appearance? I read somewhere that Franco and Zaiko Langa Langa performed during the festival.
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