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$10 General / $6 Members | PG – 13 | Documentary/ Music | 1 hr 33 mins
American Soul, Jazz, R&B and Salsa Greats Commune in Africa in the Explosive Documentary “Soul Power” to Mark Black History Month with a Special Performance by Energy Dance Company.
“Soul Power” Stars James Brown, Miriam Makeba, B.B. King, Celia Cruz, Bill Withers, The Spinners, Sister Sledge, and The Crusaders.
Only one concert ever combined the talents of giants of the soul, jazz, R&B and salsa worlds. Only one concert brought to the same stage James Brown, Miriam Makeba, B.B. King, Celia Cruz, Bill Withers, The Crusaders, Manu Dibango, The Spinners, and Sister Sledge. That landmark, once-in-a-lifetime concert was captured in the documentary SOUL POWER.
Also appearing in this 2008 film: Trombonist Fred Wesley, saxophonist Maceo Parker, colorful festival promoter legend Don King, Muhammad Ali, Hugh Masekela, Black Larry Carlton, Joe Sample, conga player Ray Barretto, and rights activist Stokely Carmichael.
The backstory for SOUL POWER: In 1974, the most celebrated American soul, jazz, salsa and R&B acts of the time came together in Africa for a 12-hour, three-night concert held in Kinshasa, Zaire. SOUL POWER is a verité documentary about the legendary music festival “Zaire ‘74” and captures musical luminaries who were inspired to explore their African roots and give the performances of their lives. SOUL POWER is crafted from the outtakes from the boxing film, WHEN WE WERE KINGS. The concert film was edited from more than 125 hours of footage.
The evening will open with a special performance by Energy Dance Company from The Center for Creative Education. Award Winning Energy has swept the valley with its fresh and entertaining Hip-Hop, Reggae and Latin dance styles.
ABOUT THE MUSIC FAN SERIES
This film is presented by Rosendale Theatre’s Music Fan Series and is part of an ongoing series of big-screen musical films and live concerts, where you can enjoy with people who love music just as much as you do! The Music Fan Series was launched July 4th weekend of 2014, when John Wackman co-organized the Music Invasion Weekend. The program consisted of A Hard Day’s Night, Stop Making Sense, The Last Waltz, and Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me. To complement the event, the Rosendale Theatre lobby hosted an art exhibition titled: “50 Years of Classic LP Covers,” drawn from local fan collections. Since then, a committee of music and film lovers has been curating the Music Fan Series at Rosendale Theatre, programming more than 75 films for appreciative audiences. They are widening that mission to include live concerts and performances.