Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
Fifty years in a basement. Like a long-lost sunken treasure waiting to be found at the bottom of the ocean. A videographer told of how he tried selling the footage but, being the same summer as Woodstock, (Woodstock started and ended in the time that Harlem Cultural Festival was running) he had no interested buyers. He said, “Nobody cared about Harlem” and attempted to market as the Black Woodstock, with no success the footage went into storage. Fifty years in a basement.
Finally making its way out into the sunlight, the footage from the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival has been given the display it so deserves. In Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Director Ahmir Thompson, who you may more easily recognize as Questlove, has masterfully woven together the rescued film from one of the greatest concerts to have ever graced a stage. The documentary includes relevant footage and news stories from our nation’s history, both good and bad, as well as entertaining and emotional interviews from performers, attendees, and contributors. The festival harvested set after set of electrifying performances that will keep you dancing throughout – and that’s only just the music. Spiritual and creative expression, political and social activism, community organization, and collaboration all existing on one stage, in one park in Harlem. It was so much more than an epic summer concert. Mount Morris Park in Harlem, New York was home to something magical that summer.
From the start, it is clear how important this event was for the community. It was described as “a sea of Black people”, as a joyous celebration in safe surroundings, if only a temporary escape from the realities of being Black in America. So disappointing that the struggles continue today.
Tony Lawrence, one of the main organizers and emcees of the festivities fits in with the colorful backdrop reminiscent of a 60s/70s game show set. His wardrobe changes, crooning, and energetic moves give a soulful lounge lizard hosting experience, perfect for the multiple-day event. Lawrence was largely responsible for making the event happen, along with support from allies such as the Mayor of New York, John Lindsay, or as nicknamed by Lawrence, “Blue-eyed soul brother”. Taking place close to a year after the devastating assassinations of the irreplaceable leaders' Martin Luther King Jr and Robert F Kennedy and Malcolm X a few short years earlier. The black community mostly welcomed the allies such as Lindsay but were taking matters into their own hands by organizing, self-advocating and speaking out on stage, and celebrating each other.
The music was diverse from Gospel to Motown, Disco, Funk, Rock, Pop, Salsa, African–you name it, they played it. Makes sense when you think about how the origins of just about all music came from Africa or blended with some part of it. I can happily write about each set but don’t want to spoil it for anyone that has yet to watch. If you find yourself in that category do yourself a favor and put it on your weekend list.
Gospel:
The legendary Mavis Staples explaining she didn’t know Pops played the Blues. Pops Staples describing how he bought his first guitar for $5 after working 14 hour days on the cotton plantation for fifty cents a day, $3 a week. Mahalia Jackson sharing the microphone with a young Mavis Staples, when she asked her to help her sing “My Precious Lord”. Like the passing of the torch, significant in so many ways. The song that was described to be Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s favorite and his last words spoken were requesting that song to Ben Branch, who was also a performer at the festival. Mavis Staples gave an incredible performance and Mahalia Jackson came back to help finish it up. Together, the two of them, so much power. Writer and musician, Greg Tate speaks of an “eruption of spirit” as musicians and the Black community redefined Christianity. The festival itself was spiritual and many in the crowd wore their Sunday best; colorful, beautiful clothes, suits, hats. As Al Sharpton beautifully shared, “Gospel was more than religious, gospel was the therapy for the stress and the pressure of being Black in America. We didn’t go to a psychiatrist, we didn’t lay on a couch. We didn’t know anything about therapists, but we knew Mahalia Jackson.”
Motown:
When I was a little girl, I was lucky to have aunts who very much loved Motown. I mean, most kids my age could sing along to “My Girl” by The Temptations or “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye, or Gladys Knight and The Pips, or even The Miracles but I was seriously blessed to have people in my life who played the deeper cuts and helped foster my love of Motown, Doo-Wop, Disco, etc. My Tia Marita and Tia Evelyn would play these records at so many gatherings. And I ate it up. My Tia Marita and I used to choreograph our own special dances. We still laugh about how our favorite was “Band of Gold” by Freda Payne. As a kid growing up in the 80s, I loved The Go-Gos and Belinda Carlisle when she went solo. The Belinda cassette tape was on my Christmas list the year it was released but I felt pretty cool knowing “Band of Gold” was a cover of one of my favorite Motown songs. Gladys Knight was always such a role model. In a time when most women were either backup singers in pretty dresses or the second name in the group, a woman with three male backup singers/dancers was very inspiring. There’s plenty of female-power happening in this film. Women like Cynthia Robinson, Mavis Staples, Mahalia Jackson, Abbey Lincoln, Nina Simone. Just so amazing. David Ruffin from The Temptations and Gladys Knight and The Pips performing on that stage made for a classic part of the setlist. I loved hearing Gladys Knight recount her memories, stories of Charles “Cholly” Atkins and his basement dance rehearsals, and how many acts he worked on within the Motown family.
Man on the Moon:
Watching this on the weekend of July 24, 2021, felt so surreal with its timing. For the past few years, we’ve heard at nauseam (for many of us anyway,) about the “new” race to space. Present-day Billionaires competing to get to Mars or colonize space or build phallic-shaped rockets or whatever. The fact that BILLIONAIRES are spending this amount of money on this now is baffling to me. Sure, you may say it’s their money and they can spend as they wish, but we know the rules as far as taxes. So many other issues aren’t the same for these big shots and so, here we are again. Hungry people, a raging pandemic, police brutality, gun violence, so many causes that can use more resources, but instead money is flowing towards space exploration. So ironic that the 1969 Moon Landing happened while the festival was taking place. Included in the documentary is footage of participants' and viewers' reactions to the landing. One attendee says, "As far as science goes…it’s beautiful, you know but like me, I couldn’t care less…its cash they wasted in getting to the moon could have been used to feed poor black people in Harlem and all over the place and all over this country, so never mind the moon, let's get some of that cash in Harlem.” The song“It's Been a Change” by The Staples Singers plays in the background. The song from 1967 includes the line, "One of these days, there’ll be a man on the moon.” Comedian Red Foxx, who I watched with my dad growing up as a kid, always threatening it was “the big one” on Sanford and Son, adds some comedic relief with his reaction, “Black man wants to go to Africa, White man wants to go to the moon. I’mma stay in Harlem with the Puerto Ricans and have me some fun.” This segways to shots of other comedians, such as Willie Tyler and Lester and Moms Mabley, the festival’s program had so much more than the music acts.
Latin and Afro Cuban/Puerto Rican:
Speaking of Puerto Ricans, The Latin music scene definitely had its share of representation at the festival. Mongo Santamaria and Ray Barretto were two acts featured and Lin-Manuel Miranda, with father, Luis Miranda, and Sheila E., and Denise Oliver-Velez all contribute to the history and experience of the mixing, melding, and the birth of new genres of music birthed in Harlem in this era and displayed on this stage. This Cuban-Honduran American definitely loved the inclusion and representation. An invitation, rather, that was extended to these artists. “Speaking a universal language, The Drum” Denise Oliver-Velez.
Fashion:
Sly and The Family Stone. Before Prince and Lenny Kravitz, the world had Sly. Festival attendee, Darryl Lewis said that prior to this performance he and his friends had looked up to the Motown musicians for fashion cues, with their matching suit and ties. But after the Sly and The Family Stone performance, “we were no longer suit and tie guys.” A new movement to freely embrace natural hair if desired and popularity of the Afro, the celebration of the Dashiki, bold colored fabrics, and Mod dresses– like Abbey Lincoln’s as she performs with Max Roach. Masa Jackson’s memory of The 5th Dimension and Marilyn McCoo as the first crush in an orange Creamsicle outfit. No surprise to see this band in a colorful and hip wardrobe.
Activism/Civil Rights:
Next to the music itself, activism was a main character. Along with the aforementioned performers, Stevie Wonder pushed back on the idea that he couldn’t use his platform and art to spread messages of social justice and awareness of important issues. Of course, Nina Simone was a Queen of activism and voice against racial injustice. As a lover of writers and journalists, another section that also really stays with me is Charmayne Hunter’s account of being one of two first black students to desegregate the University of Georgia. Hunter wanted to be a journalist and study at the university. White students were interviewed and asked to respond and one student replied that it would be an issue if they put Hunter in the same dormitory. Later, during a night of riots, white girls on the second story beat on the floor to harass Hunter, but she was listening to Nina Simone. And that made her feel at peace. I can’t help but wonder if the young girl interviewed, now as a woman possibly in her 70s has seen the footage. How does it make her feel? Is she ashamed? Has she changed for the better? Is she against the real history of America being taught in schools? Is she going to school board meetings to ban such curriculum and classic books from libraries? We often wonder if those angry faces that yelled at a little Ruby Bridges as she was escorted into her elementary school are the ones fighting this accurate history because they can’t face the revelation to the world that their racism, their hate was once unabashedly on display for the world to see. Do they really want to protect children from an awful history, or themselves from this part of their past and, possibly, present?
Max Roach’s son explains about the song, “It’s Time” that the message is “It's time, do it now, we want liberation.” Max Roach himself spoke about time to “engage in ownership of not only artistic properties but for physical properties: the theaters, the clubs, the record companies”. Still today we are discussing the disparity of ownership compared to the output of talent, skill, and creativity. How many Black athletes vs team coaches, managers, owners? That’s just one example, but so many industries have this same problem. Then again, the NFL shut out Colin Kaepernick for kneeling and was recently discovered to practice race norming, on top of the already known issues. More reason to prove we shouldn’t expect much without continuing the fight for systemic change. Summer of Soul, and more stories like it, make for more displays of not only the talent, creativity, passion, and drive– but the climb to the rooms where the decisions are made, the doors are opened for more control, higher earnings, and broader representation. Thank you, Questlove for this beautiful gift. Currently streaming on Hulu, the documentary is a must-watch. Beautiful, historical, and emotional.
