"What will people see in the film that will resonate with the present moment?" BEST QUESTION EVER...for BEST ANSWER: "Black joy." Thank you for this segment...Love love love love love.
They'll 👁️ history being made around the🌏 coming together peoples of all color📺 groups making history now Legends 🎤🎸🎹🎵🎶🎼📻🎸🎺🎷 back in 1969 ✊🏿✌️ Gladys Knight and the pips David ruffin Stevie Wonder Mahalia Jackson Aretha ✨✨💫 Franklin the list goes on
@@dennissimpson8074 THIS IS ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE! NOT EVERY COLOR GROUP. BLACK PEOPLE. IT'S SO FKN HARD FOR "OTHERS" TO SEE US HAVE ANYTHING TO OURSELVES. AGAIN, THIS IS ABOUT BLACK..... I REPEAT, BLACK!!!
The Fact that the African-American equivalent of Woodstock was happening at the exact same time and no one today really knows about this festival is a travesty 😩I’m glad people are at least hearing about it now🙏👍😘❤️
On mainstream radio stations in Los Angeles at the time they were playing sly and the family Stone an SD Stevie wonder came out with my Cherie amour in 1971 radio stations were playing these songs come on down to the stone cold picnic most of hit top ten in Los Angeles pop charts by sly and the family stone. Progressive radio stations played all types of genres
@@marciaaustin8231 Yes. Same thing in Phila. And just about the same time Earth, Wind and Fire started. Then there was George Clinton and Parliament/Funkadelic.
No please this is a woke agenda thing. I was THERE. As a five-year-old Caucasian child with my parents. It was a huge thing and it was very widely covered at the time. How do you think all the ppl in attendance (including the large numbers of white folks in CLOSEUP in this clip) found out about the festival in those pre-internet days, you fools? You can SEE the volume of ppl in the audience ffs. This is the Woke agenda trying to rewrite history. Again.
@@ns2110theonly No...this is YOU being a typical white person making OUR story/history about YOU, and your agenda. Take a seat, and listen instead of projecting your racial angst! Sheesh.
WOW!!! I grew up with this music, all of it. Saturday night in the 70's as a kid I waited up to watch Soul Train. This music in the 60's and 70's feed our souls. I cannot, CANNOT!, wait to see this film. What angers me a bit is I had no idea about this Festival. Shame on America for not pushing this out like Woodstock as well. Oh by the way, I'm a white guy who went to an all black school in the 60's and 70's. Its an ALL thing, not a Black thing folks....
I saw Summer of Soul opening weekend - I am a huge music lover, especially the music of the 60’s and 70’s. I loved this documentary. I am gobsmacked that this footage was buried in someone’s basement for 50 years! The fact that no network would touch it is just shameful. A million Thank You’s to Questlove for making such a beautiful film 🙏
You can't underestimate how much the US government FEARED the power our music, the ideas from artist like Curtis Mayfield, Sam Cook, Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder and James Brown, The Soul Children etc on loving our BLACK-NESS, striving, not taking the Oppression The CIA had files on how our music made us "activists" and "too political" They hid this footage purposely. They have worked for 50 years to take the power out of Black music, collaborating with these wt owned CORPORATE record labels, finally neutralizing it, turning Black music into what we see now, ignorant buffoonish over-sexualized minstrels with NOTHING to say.
I love late 80's / early 90's hip hop, but that music reminds me how they proceeded to squash any intelligent material in favor of what they've been selling for the last 20 years: garbage.
I'm from Holland, born in 1968, and till today never heard of this. There are no words to describe how upset i am to hear that this existed, and hardly no one has heard of it. It's total sensorship.
White guy that grew up 40 minutes from Detroit in 50s-60s influenced by the music...Soul...Then lived one subway stop from Harlem.. So anxious to see this.
Just watched the film and was so blown away, now I'm looking up backstory & interviews. What a journey this film brings us on. Impeccably edited & produced. It should win every film award.
I’ve watched the Sly and the family Stone performance from this festival for years and always wondered where the rest of the footage was located...so happy now the whole world will get to see this landmark event and glad Questlove has become a more widely recognized musical historian. I’ve been watching his streaming DJ sets over the past year during quarantine and his musical catalog and knowledge is astounding (go to The Roots RU-vid and other social media sites to catch one usually on Fridays now)
He is an amazing music historian. His quarantine streams were epic especially his Sade, Prince and Chaka themed shows. Thank God for him and DNice through such an uncertain time.
@@haysfordays I taught in a predominantly black elementary in Philly. For our black history assemblies I would teach the kids "To Be Young, Gifted and Black". While I had several audio versions (including Elton John), the 1969 Harlem show was the first DVD where I could show them Nina and her band playing the tune.
I just saw this on CBS Sunday Morning, an xlnt & favorite show. Great music is for ALL people. Thank God the videos survived. There's always been countless individuals interested in original music and I believe it's a shame that it took so long to bring this out to the music loving world. Thanks.
@jack power and not to mention that movie theaters are expensive,$16 for one ticket is just ridiculous and if you buy snacks you can expend more that $40,a bottle water is $5.00 and the same water at the stores is $2.00
I'm sad for the many that never knew about this festival, but am so grateful that it is finally getting to be seen by so many today! This is history that EVERY ONE, regardless of their background, should know about, but ESPECIALLY Black people. I'm so excited to see this gem!
I consider myself well educated but guess what... I had no idea about this so it seems like somewhere along the way certain things are deemed relavent or not... Disappointing
@@jasonbabcock2158 agreed. This was one of those events that the decision makers deemed unworthy of asking a bright light on, but thank goodness the footage was still in great condition, and that Questlove took on the project!
I was 5 years old and my aunt was 18. She most likely attended the festival. Can't wait to see Sly and The Family Stone along with The 5th Demension 🥰😍
Saw this in my local cinema 3 weeks ago. Absolutely blown away and moved to tears. They always want to erase our history. Phenomenal piece of forgotten black music history💜❤️🥲
What a huge occasion. Sly and the Family Stone! David Ruffin! Gladys Knight and the Pips! The Staple Singers! Stevie Wonder! Nina Freaking Simone! Criminally forgotten. Thank you Questlove for bringing this back to all of us. 👏👏👏👏👏👏
It was so amazing 1969. I was there at age 10 with my sister and dad; who brought us to see Mahalia Jackson. We walked to the park. It was such a great Day. I remember it was the largest crowd I had ever seen. That event was something huge and wonderful to me. Ms Jackson was incredible!!! Harlem USA our History. Not to be forgotten 💯✅❗👍🏾👏🏾💫
Black Joy is exactly why this hasn't been seen. This goes against how "they" want blacks to be seen. Black families and communities coming together, 300 thousand deep, enjoying themselves. Celebrating black culture without incident. A stark contrast to the drug fueled Woodstock. This is such an incredible piece of history, so well put together. The quality of the film and sound is fantastic. The music, the social commentary, a wonderful eye opening discovery.
I was there in Mt Morris Park,I was 17years old and it was fantastic,Sly was the best ,Also Nina Simone, what a historic event, A really Great Day in Harlem
Just saw this for free on Hulu, w/30 day trail. Absolutely, blown away!! Now gonna see it in the theater to support QuestLove. Also note, nobody was killed or assaulted by the Black Panthers like the Hells Angels did at Woodstock.
This is so beautiful, beyond, deep, and needs to be seen and heard! I am Italian-American and NYC is in my blood, this is in my blood! See this movie, honor the depth of the Black community, as they are our brothers and sisters!
I didn't even see Woodstock, as I had just given birth to Number Four!!!!!Was so glad for the doc on Woodstock and also this one. It is truly a miracle that the film is in one piece and was remastered. BTW: Rendezvous with Rama is being filmed as I write by Netflix which had enough money. Morgan Freeman is ecstatic!!! Mr Freeman, I wrote a lot of letters to anybody who had MONET!
This is one of favorite movies of 2021 and will always be with me! I'm trying to get as many of my friends and family to see this, so that they can do the same.
Their live sound is out of this world. Thank you Quest for bringing this gem into the mainstream conciseness. I can't wait to play this for my little ones to sing and dance to and learn about American history.
Without the magnificent black singers male and female and the groups of that era the American musical history will be at its 50 % empty,those years had great music mainly thanks to the black musicians period.
The reporter/interviewer actually asks questiuons and allows QLove to answer without speaking for him. QuestLove is articulate and a gem to the music industry. All of that music was a part of my youth and I still love it today!
WoW it would be cool if they put the whole concert on DVD I mean if they can put the whole Woodstock on DVD why not this I would definitely buy it I would love to see this in its entirety
Having calmed down a little from the euphoria of the music, the Black joy and Black potential of 1969 is what haunts me now. Must watch, but almost most reexamine after watching. It's a spine chilling piece of social commentary camouflaged with incredible music. More than 50 years have passed...
Fifteen years ago when I first saw the video on RU-vid of Nina Simone singing 'I Ain't Got No.." I said "this is the best thing I've ever seen on video." I still feel that way after many thousands of viewings of RU-vid videos. This documentary validates that.
So glad Questlove is making this historic video, however sadden that once again Black empowerment has been hidden from American history for over half a century.
Capturing the Legacy of Harlem in such a significant time in Black history. Making a way out of no way has always been the soul of a people who never gave and won't give up on our value and worth that contributed to this country.
Amazing doc, all the music I love. I was a newborn baby when this went down. I have to say that Marillyn McCoo is the most beautiful woman who ever existed. My. Lord.
I've always known about "Wattstax" - which happened about three years after - but it's weird how it seems to me no one, not even the people who participated in this festival, had ever mentioned it.
@@essenceedwards-burd8721 I know, right? Like the young man they interviewed - who attended as a small child - said, it seemed like such a forgone event, he had gone most of his life thinking it was maybe something he had dreamed up and was reluctant to mention to anyone for fear they may think he was crazy.
I was raised on classic rock and soul music of the 60's and 70's. I have been buying and listening to music since 1964 and can remember, Woodstock, Monterrey Pop, Beatles at Shea Stadium, Live Aid. But I've never heard of this festival, which I find interesting. I can't wait to see this film. Bravo, Questlove.
As a 56 yr old lifetime New Yorker I cannot fathom that I never heard of this festival. I just watched the film and was overjoyed at the amazing performances. Absolutely amazing.
@@CHOCKO895 Sorry you no longer have your parents. But the 60’s was both wonderful and dangerous for us, we were going places and doing everything. And I truly believe Black people were kinder to each other. I saw the festival every Sunday in July and one I August. I think Woodstock copied off us because it did not happen til the end of August.
Got to see the documentary on Friday. Utterly magnificent. BB King, Stevie, David Ruffin, Mahalia, Gladys, and the Fifth Dimension etc were fabulous. Sly Stone was in another league. 9/10 Why did it take half a century to show this wonderful footage? You know the answer.............
OMG, AA PPL STILL CARES ABOUT EACH OTHER. *START FOCUSING ON WHY NEWS MEDIA ONLY REPORTES AA IN NEGATIVE SITUATIONS & W/ SUBLIMINAL MESSAGING... STAY WOKE. BE WELL .
I mean, yes and no. There were camps of black people, moderates vs. militants for instance. And then a few years later, everything got very violent. The 1970s was a violent time. Black people still care about each other it's just we play to directives too much now and they're everywhere, including places like social media.
So sad...yet another moment that could have been a touchstone for blacks in America, AND for whites, kept away from sight. Saw this movie twice last week in a theater. Just unbelievable. Bravo to all who helped this see the light of day! I could watch this once a week and not tire of it.
I watched it last night, It was amazing! I love music history, the stories that tie American history in. The statements, the fashions, the sounds, & to see so many black people together loving the music. Well done Questlove!
So much of our history buried & forgotten. We are a beautiful, courageous & magical people. #buriedseeds eventually sprout and bloom. Thank you Questlove!!
I just watched this. I cried. I was a child and lived in California then and I've never heard of this. This was a beautiful meeting of soul and souls, black people coming together in harmony. This should have been an event that took place every year until today.
Despite only being a first-time director, The Roots’ drummer Questlove has already entered rarified air as one of the nominees for the 2022 Academy Awards. he’s nominated for Best Original Documentary for his debut film, , which captured the subversive energy and vibrant performances of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. The documentary is also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Music Film, an impressive achievement for the veteran musician.
I watched “Summer of Soul” on HULU yesterday. The documentary is excellent. But I need more. A mini series and/or a soundtrack of the entire concert should be done. I guarantee that it would be a hit.
I'm crossing my fingers too! He's just got to do it! I saw so many performers I would like to have seen like Pig Meat Markham, and not enough of the dearly departed Moms Mabley. I hope if not, DVD, I'd buy it in a heartbeat! I'm old I still got a DVD player. Lolol!
Thank you Questlove. l knew about the Wattstax Concert (We had the album). l really am stunned that there was a Black Music Festival in Harlem in 1969!!! A must see documentary, for sure!! This wasn't even mentioned in a book about the History of Harlem that my family had.
Wonderful, insightful package about an important event that most of us knew nothing about...so important. We need to keep looking for these moments to help us understand where we've been and where we can go. Thank you Sunday Morning.
I can't say enough good things about Summer of Soul. So good I've seen it twice, once with my 15-year-old sons and they said it exceeded their expectations. This should be required watching for all high school students when they are studying US civil rights. AND should be required watching for all high school music students.
