A pulsating panorama of “Black, beautiful, proud” people, “Summer of Soul,” is . But this one, which marks the directorial debut of The Roots drummer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, comes with a most unfortunate history: Its film reels were buried in a basement for 50 years, largely unseen, until now.
The “Questlove Jawn,” as it’s introduced in opening credits, covers the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, aka “The Black Woodstock.” The name stuck over the years not only because the concerts coincided with that other big rock festival upstate. The idea for the event flowered from the ashes of the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X, as well as the Civil Rights movement, and was created to celebrate African-American music, culture and politics, and to promote Black pride and unity.
It wasn’t the first time. The initial Harlem Cultural Festival took place in 1967, when a thirtysomething Harlemite singer named...
The “Questlove Jawn,” as it’s introduced in opening credits, covers the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, aka “The Black Woodstock.” The name stuck over the years not only because the concerts coincided with that other big rock festival upstate. The idea for the event flowered from the ashes of the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X, as well as the Civil Rights movement, and was created to celebrate African-American music, culture and politics, and to promote Black pride and unity.
It wasn’t the first time. The initial Harlem Cultural Festival took place in 1967, when a thirtysomething Harlemite singer named...
- 1/29/2021
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
Santana launched their career half a century ago with a cover of Nigerian percussionist Babatunde Olatunji’s “Jingo” and now, for their 25th album, they’ve created a love letter to Africa. Although Africa Speaks sounds undeniably like a Santana album, with Carlos’ fiery guitar bursts and reedy-voiced singer Buika’s Spanish-language exclamaciones, it explodes from the start with African rhythms and a unique freedom to the way the group plays the songs.
With the exceptions of “Breaking Down the Door,” a faithful cover of the Manu Chao–penned Calypso Rose song “Abatina,...
With the exceptions of “Breaking Down the Door,” a faithful cover of the Manu Chao–penned Calypso Rose song “Abatina,...
- 6/7/2019
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
What a year in rock music! There, I said it. Too much to take in. Like a rowboat taking in more water than I can bail out. I keep getting new music recommended to me by friends, publicists, old lovers, dudes on subways, songs blasting in hipster boutiques; freakin' new music was everywhere. I got tipped to U.K. acts such as punk rockers Sleaford Mods, poetry rapper Kate Tempest, and folkster Jake Bugg; there was a new pop rock opus by Dan Wilson, and soulful Brooklynite Selena Garcia, and much more. I could barely compile my "best of/favorites of 2014" list knowing that I'll probably discover even more music after I've completed it. But here goes...my ten favorite tracks from 2014, a few essential reissues, and my ten favorite albums, yes, albums, like on real heavy duty vinyl, with two sides and everything.
Singles:
"Brother" - Selena Garcia...
Singles:
"Brother" - Selena Garcia...
- 1/1/2015
- by Dusty Wright
- www.culturecatch.com
Happy 4th of July, my fellow Americans! Been a terrific six months for new music. Below are some of my favorite album releases that deserve early kudos at the half-way mark.
The War on Drugs: Lost in the Dream (Secretly Canadian)
Six months in and the Philly-based quartet The War on Drugs' third long player -- Lost in the Dream -- is their best and one of the best releases of 2014. Even with Kurt Vile leaving in 2011 for solo frontiers, Adam Granduciel soldiered on with his bandmates and crafted a superb album. Even with most of the songs clocking in over five minutes in length, and even with a rather pedestrian video (above), "Red Eyes" remains one of the catchiest indie rock tunes this side of New Order! The galloping guitar break is just sublime. Pick it up today!
tUnE-yArDs: Nikki Nack (4Ad)
The tribal drum groove is unmistakable and wildly infectious,...
The War on Drugs: Lost in the Dream (Secretly Canadian)
Six months in and the Philly-based quartet The War on Drugs' third long player -- Lost in the Dream -- is their best and one of the best releases of 2014. Even with Kurt Vile leaving in 2011 for solo frontiers, Adam Granduciel soldiered on with his bandmates and crafted a superb album. Even with most of the songs clocking in over five minutes in length, and even with a rather pedestrian video (above), "Red Eyes" remains one of the catchiest indie rock tunes this side of New Order! The galloping guitar break is just sublime. Pick it up today!
tUnE-yArDs: Nikki Nack (4Ad)
The tribal drum groove is unmistakable and wildly infectious,...
- 7/4/2014
- by Dusty Wright
- www.culturecatch.com
Unpolluted human spirit preserved in master drummer’s African polyrhythms
There’s something primal and joyous but also chilling about Nigerian master drummer Babatunde Olatunji’s classic 1959 album Drums of Passion. Perhaps this is why some of our finest musicians held him in such high regard: Bob Dylan name-checked Olatunji in “I Shall Be Free,” John Coltrane was inspired to compose “Tunji” in his honor, and Carlos Santana made Drums of Passion’s “Jin-Go-Lo-Ba” one of his signature tunes.
There’s something primal and joyous but also chilling about Nigerian master drummer Babatunde Olatunji’s classic 1959 album Drums of Passion. Perhaps this is why some of our finest musicians held him in such high regard: Bob Dylan name-checked Olatunji in “I Shall Be Free,” John Coltrane was inspired to compose “Tunji” in his honor, and Carlos Santana made Drums of Passion’s “Jin-Go-Lo-Ba” one of his signature tunes.
- 7/8/2009
- Pastemagazine.com
Miles Davis Kind Of Blue / Legacy Edition Miles Davis Sketches Of Spain / Legacy Edition The Dave Brubeck Quartet Time Out / Legacy Edition Charles Minugus Mingus Ah Um / Legacy Edition Tito Puente Dance Mania / Legacy Edition Babatunde Olatunji Drums Of Passion / Legacy Edition Back when gas was twenty-five cents, Hawaii and Alaska became states, and Fidel Castro came to power, would-be classic records such as Miles Davis' Kind Of Blue and Sketches Of Spain, Dave Brubeck's Time Out, and Charles Mingus' Mingus Ah Um hit the marketplace as jazz's reinvention experienced some of its greatest popularity in the U.S. as well as internationally. As Americans became globetrotters (remember Frank Sinatra's Come Fly With Me album cover?), foreign musics simultaneously began infiltrating the U.S.--like the latin dance of Tito Puente or the "exotic" sounds of Nigerian-born Babatunde Olatunji and his Drums Of Passion. In fact,...
- 6/25/2009
- by Mike Ragogna
- Huffington Post
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