South African musician Hugh Masekela joined African American performers in the 3rd edition of the Harlem Cultural Festival's celebration of Black creativity and international solidarity. The Harlem Cultural Festival was arguably one of the first of its kind to promote black pop as transformative urban event, as a site to be inhabited as well as a sound to be experienced, and the key to new neighborhood connections and collaborations. NowPlayingUtah.com is managed by the Utah Cultural Alliance. All event names, trademarks, and brands are property of their respective owners. Now Playing Utah is a charitable service that showcases transformative cultural experiences across Utah. In 1969, during the same summer as Woodstock, another music festival took place 100 miles away. Summer of Soul (Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), a new music documentary of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival has recently premiered, contributing another very important record of African-American culture during that era. A A. Reset. Singer Abbey Lincoln performing at the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival in a scene from the new concert film Summer of Soul. Embracing the Black Experience unapologetically, Nina Simone rallies thousands of African Americans in the audience, proudly holding nothing back. And who knows? A little over one year after all of this turbulence, The Harlem Cultural Festival served to celebrate what no amount of hatred nor systemic oppression can take away from Black people: talent, pride, and joy. Soul, gospel, blues, jazz, R & B, funk, and rock. We're excited to share this valuable resource! John Lindsay, New York City mayor from 1966 to 1973, fully supported the festival. Summer of Soul co-producer Robert Fyvolent eventually acquired the rights from original producer Hal Tulchin, who failed in his own attempt to sell the material as a television special in 1969. And we're still doing that today in the Bush years. So take a trip back in time and immerse yourself in this glorious film. Swinging evangelical combos delivered encouraging yet sardonic sermons over funky backbeats. The 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival featured some of the most popular acts in the United States. Then, after the 1968 Festival, Lawrence worked during the off-season to secure funding to help expand it for 1969, and he planned to have it broadcast on national television. The Harlem Cultural Festival was a series of events, mainly music concerts, held annually in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, between 1967 and 1969 which celebrated African American music and culture and promoted Black pride. Nina Simone, whose presence is so beautiful, confident, and strong, performs the razor-edged, politically charged Backlash Blues (lyrics by Langston Hughes), To Be Young, Gifted, and Black, and the David Nelson poem Are You Ready, Black People?. Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their black-gloved fists in silent protest at the Olympics later that year. The Harlem Cultural Festival happened a year after Martin Luther King was . During the summer of 1969, a historic Black festival took place: the Harlem Cultural Festival. Iterations of the Harlem Cultural Festival were held in 1967 and 1968, but the 1969 events were the apex. / Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah / I'm talkin. At this concert, Nina Simone sang about being young, gifted, and Black while encouraging people to fight hard for their rights. Photos from The Timess archive capture the reverberations of an event that was a casual thing of beauty, where black folks moved en masse through the streets and into the park, improvisationally responding to one another, forming circles of joy and conviviality and reveling in outdoor leisure. What the Harlem Cultural Festival Represented Questlove's debut as a director, the documentary Summer of Soul, revisits a musical event that encapsulated the energies of Harlem in the 1960s. Now, with this film in cinemas and streaming on Hulu, one of the earliest pairings of Black musical genius and ambitious political intent can re-enter public consciousness. In fact, Dr. Kings friend and fellow activist Jesse Jackson spoke at the Harlem Cultural Festival. Somehow Lindsay and Lawrence knew that a sustained application of the right music at the right time could help heal the great wound slowly festering in the collective soul of New York's black and brown community. The Kerner Report suggestions had to be deployed by proactive mayors like John Lindsay before similar initiatives were widely implemented by the federal government. King, David Ruffin, the Chambers Brothers, Mongo Santamara, the Edwin Hawkins Singers, and a nineteen-year-old Stevie Wonder, who masters the drums in addition to the keyboards. Theres an inexplicable power and comfort in being in a sea of Black faces and enjoying a freeing experience together. Gladys Knight & the Pips perform at the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. As a musician himself, Questlove gives special attention to the amazing roster of musical talent. To tell the story of the 3rd Harlem Cultural Festival, Questlove intersperses brilliant performance footage with a mosaic of talking heads. There are new recollections from folks who lived in Harlem at that time and witnessed portions of the festival live, in addition to performers who took part onstage. School desegregation put Black youth and young adults into hostile environments in hopes of leveling the educational playing field. The citys new mayor, John Lindsay, felt the initiative could help ease some racial tensions and appease Black residents. "Summer of Soul" is smartly and passionately crafted. Some of the headliners included B.B. Questlove Discusses His Must-See New Doc, 'Summer Of Soul', 'Summer Of Soul' Celebrates A 1969 Black Cultural Festival Eclipsed By Woodstock. The Harlem Cultural Festival was a free, peaceful gathering in the midst of a very radical and sometimes violent time in history. This event saw thousands of people flock to Harlem in New York to celebrate black history, culture, music and fashion. The Harlem Cultural Festival took place on six Sundays beginning June 29 and ending August 24, 1969, in Mount Morris Park (now named Marcus Garvey Park). Sly and the Family Stone in Summer of Soul. The 1960s were undoubtedly a turbulent yet pivotal decade for Black people. Source: (The Everett Collection/Pop Sugar). King and Steve Wonder. The film captures both the hope and the rage that fueled the '60s. Total attendance for the concert. It was also a time of collective heartbreak with events like Bloody Sunday and the assassinations of Malcolm X in 1965 and Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968. Questlove turns to some of the surviving musicians (and other celebrities) to offer commentary while looking at the material again all these years later, but the most touching moments come from. Director Hal Tulchin Stars The 5th Dimension Gladys Knight & The Pips Jesse Jackson Questlove, drummer for the Roots, the in-house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, flawlessly combines never-before-seen footage of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival with new commentaries, creating a truly essential and entertaining viewing experience. A new 'guide' can help. Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. of the5th Dimension are quite affected as they fondly reflect back on their performanceso happy to connect with the Harlem audience. Questloves Summer of Soul documentary is revealing this event to the world. They were the living embodiment of Sly and the Family Stones everyday people. From 1972s Wattstax in Los Angeles to 1973s Soul at the Center events at Lincoln Center, from Diana Rosss heroic 1983 rain-soaked performance in Central Park to Dave Chappelles 2004 rousing neo-soul-fights-neoliberal-gentrification Block Party, the idea of the large-scale African-American pop concert as community revival, sustenance, triumph and renewal is a recurring phenomenon. Sing a Simple Song (Live at the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival) Lyrics: Ladies and gentlemen / The internationally known / The dynamic / Sly and the Family Stone! The Harlem Cultural Festival took place on six Sundays beginning June 29 and ending August 24, 1969, in Mount Morris Park (now named Marcus Garvey Park). Sixteen months before the festival, John Lindsay, a progressive Republican was elected mayor of New York. And you know the reason why. However, the remainder of Lawrences plans would not be realized. ", Reached recently in preparation for a voting-rights march in New Orleans, Jackson reflected on what was accomplished that summer in Harlem, and summers since. ", 2023 Smithsonian Magazine "And I know damn well that a. "The fact that 40 hours of footage was kept from the public," he says, "is living proof that revisionist history exists. Gospel highlights include Mahalia Jackson singing Precious Lord Take My Hand, along with Mavis Staples (who shares heartfelt memories of her experience). Dubois' attempt to get post-war European powers to grant self-rule to their African colonies in 1919, to Garvey's U.N.I.A., to today's Black Lives Matter movement, a Pan-African agenda simply demands recognition of the equal value and potential of white and non-white cultures. He owns a good deal of Ed Sullivan material and provided most of the film for Martin Scorsese's recent Bob Dylan documentary. Summer of Soul (Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) is showing in both theatres and on Hulu streaming. Admission was free. From W.E.B. The footage shows seas of some 100,000 Black attendees whose dress and manner blend a Fourth of July picnic, a Sunday Best church revival, an urban rock concert and a rural civil rights rally. 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The Harlem Cultural Festival, also known as "Black Woodstock", was a series of music concerts held in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City during the summer of 1969 to celebrate African American Read allThe Harlem Cultural Festival, also known as "Black Woodstock", was a series of music concerts held in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City during the summer of 1969 to celebrate African American music and culture and to promote the continued politics of Black pride.The Harlem Cultural Festival, also known as "Black Woodstock", was a series of music concerts held in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City during the summer of 1969 to celebrate African American music and culture and to promote the continued politics of Black pride. This is not a movie. Mayor Lindsay is introduced onstage by Tony Lawrence as our blue-eyed soul brother and is seen having a good time with the audience. Most people have heard of Woodstock but most have never heard of the Harlem Cultural Festival that happened that same summer of 1969. One especially insightful segment is devoted to the Apollo 11 moon landing nationally televised during the summer of 1969. It delivers a vibrant portrait of an event that showcased a broad spectrum of Black culture and then sets that celebration against the turbulent political backdrop of the 1960s. The Harlem Cultural Festival celebrated African American music and culture. The Harlem Festival of Culture will host a yearlong series of events leading up to the multi-day 2023 festival. White institutions created it, white institutions maintain it, and white society condones it." Destructive 'Super Pigs' From Canada Threaten the Northern U.S. Did an Ancient Magnetic Field Reversal Cause Chaos for Life on Earth 42,000 Years Ago? The film reminds us that the festival came after America had witnessed the murders of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., Robert Kennedy, and Malcolm X. Its not the same for the Harlem Cultural Festival. Experiencing the film up close on a big screen will enable viewers to feel as if they have been transported back to 1969 Harlem, surrounded by vibrancy, art, culture, and community. / Sing a simple song! The festival has been called Black Woodstock, an interesting moniker considering it wrapped up two weeks before Woodstock. The events were all captured on film by TV producer Hal Tulchin who had wanted to sell the footage to the TV networks but none of them showed any interest and some 50 hours of footage has still not seen the light of day. Summer of Soul festival returns to Harlem in 2023. by Peter A. April 13th. 26 S. Rio Grande St #2072, Salt Lake City, UT 84101 | npusupport@nowplayingutah.com, Festival Hall and Heritage Theater - Cedar City, KRCL's Women Who Rock Trivia Night for International Women's Day. These world-class musicians came out to become one with their fans in a place where everyone could temporarily escape the worlds injustice and unrest. Sly and the Family Stone. By 1968, the Sunday evening shows were bringing in 25,000 fans each night. What is the English language plot outline for Black Woodstock (1969)? See production, box office & company info, Summer of Soul (Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Summer of Soul (Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (2021). But the Harlem Cultural Festivals significance is more than worthy of the recent acknowledgement its getting on a nationwide scale. Harlem Cultural Festival Of 1969 Fuels Summer Of Soul. July 13, 1969. Mayor John Lindsay with the gospel singer Mahalia Jackson outside her dressing room. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures The Black Panther Party provided security, along with the New York City Police Department (which initially balked at providing officers before finally committing). The festival got its start in 1967, when the citys Parks Department hired Tony Lawrence, a local entertainer, to put together summer programming in Harlem. Total attendance for the concert series was over 300,000. Taking place over several weekends in the summer of 1969, and featuring artists like Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone and B.B. Wattstax, the 1973 film of the August 20, 1972, Stax Records benefit concert in Los Angeles (commemorating the seventh anniversary of the Watts riots) has probably been the most accessible and well-known document of outdoor African-American stage performances from this erauntil now. The music scene of the late sixties and early seventies was a zenith for these styles, and African Americans were a vital part of it all. Someone is holding her attention, maybe dazzling her imagination. We want people to understand that this festival is being built by the people who are from, live, and work in this community. Sly & the Family Stone explored the humanity and equality of all people who have to live together with Everyday People. The artists made people want to laugh, dance, fall in love, and advocate for themselves at the same time. Al Sharpton in "Summer of Soul," a documentary about the Harlem Cultural Festival, a music extravaganza that took place over six weeks at the . Because it is a part of history.. A weekly series of six concerts put on in Harlem's Mt. The Harlem Cultural Festival enveloped New York Citys Mount Morris Park in Black Pride with a series of live music concerts spanning six weekends from June 29 through August 24. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. He is now teaming with Robert Gordon and Morgan Neville, who produced "Muddy Waters Can't Be Satisfied," to tell the forgotten story of the Harlem festival. The Harlem Cultural Festival could have easily been lost in time outside of those who are still alive to recall the event and Harlem residents who celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019. The Senate has agreed, by unanimous consent, to designate the last weekend of June 2022 as a time to commemorate the first weekend of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. Presented by St. George Art Museum at St. George Art Museum, Saint George UT. They built a large, multi-colored stage in Morris Park, facing West to take advantage of the afternoon light since they did not have the budget for lights. Presented by Brigham Young University Museum of Art at Brigham Young University Museum of Art, Provo UT. But here its infused with Afrofuturist language and sensibilities of the now, a belief in the insurgent possibility of the black hacker who disrupts the network, codes the culture and erodes the grid erected as a cage, as Morgan puts it, all in the pursuit of vibrant new-world building. Privacy Statement Presented by Alta Community Enrichment at Our Lady of the Snows Center, Alta UT. Such a legacy lives on most notably in todays venerable and beloved Afropunk festival (which is not affiliated with the 50th anniversary Harlem Cultural Festival event). Before Afropunk, Nina Simone, Sly Stone, Mahalia Jackson and more graced a Harlem stage in 1969. That's right. Interest came from Joe Lauro, who discovered the Black Woodstock video amid his routine prowling of old TV Guide issues (hour-long specials had appeared on CBS and ABC). We not only hear from people interviewed in '69, we also get contemporary reflections from surviving eye-witnesses who were adolescents or in their early 20s when they attended these concerts. ", At least one person in the crowd took that speech to heart: Jesse Jackson, who ran for president twice in the 1980s. Searchlight Pictures. We are happy to announce the second annual Utah Grown Event, this year on March 2nd. The great soloist Mahalia Jackson, a close friend of the late Dr. King, gave voice to the collective need to grieve his sacrifice by singing his favorite hymn with an audibly broken heart. NowPlayingUtah.com is an event promoter and does not plan any of the events you see here. Tony Lawrence invited the 200 people who had protested the construction of an office building instead of a school. "Often, art and culture are one and the same with political statements," he said. "But I knew it was going to be like real estate, and sooner or later someone would have interest in it.". Each weekend from June 29 to August 24 in 1969, thousands of Harlem residents flocked to what is now Marcus Garvey Park. Drummer Max Roach appears with vocalist Abbey Lincoln interpreting John Coltranes Africa. The Harlem Cultural Festival of that year, which would come to be known as Black Woodstock, had, on its surface, little in common with the upstate hootenanny. Staged in Harlem's Mount Morris Park in summer 1969, weeks before Woodstock festival in upstate New York, the event attracted trailblazing Black artists including Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone,. But it was a lengthy set of gospel music that became the emotional lynch pin for an event dedicated to the legacy of civil rights martyrs like King and Malcolm X. Jesse Jackson speaking to the crowd, with the Operation Breadbasket Band behind him. Wattstax, in addition to featuring Isaac Hayes at the peak of his solo stardom as "Black Moses," contained cutaways to early Richard Pryor nightclub routines that resemble the comedy clips Questlove chooses to insert from Moms Mabley and Redd Foxx. People were sitting in the trees. A vibrant cross-section of city folk brothers in dashikis (like Jesse Jackson, who spoke at one of the concerts), young sisters in smart shifts and older ones in church hats, men in fedoras and well-pressed, button-up shirts all listened with a combination of focus and ease. ", Another lost battle is the intimacy, the privacy of Beaty-Barnes' concert memories, which will soon be able to be bought, burnt or downloaded into retro-adoring hands. The concert series was filled with stars from blues, jazz, R&B, and soul and drew over. Lawrence also claimed that he was being threatened by a mafia enforcer and that his car was blown up when he was visiting his friend Sidney Poitier. Then the footage sat in his basement for 50 years because he couldnt get anyone interested in turning it into a documentary. Jackson also noted what an impact it was to see 50,000 Black people gathered in one place celebrating Black culture. We wanted progress. Summer of Soul contains an abundance of awe-inspiring material. Over six weekends in the summer of 1969, the Harlem Cultural Festival drew more than 300,000 people. It wasnt just about the music. I am interested in going behind the scenes to explore the creative process; seeing how pop culture reflects social issues; and providing a context for art and entertainment. Over the course of six weeks in 1969, veteran TV producer Hal Tulchin filmed the Harlem Cultural Festival. By. He also raised funds for a playground and a Head Start program. Black America's acute sense of being forcibly denied both altruistic leadership and hope made the Harlem Cultural Festival about more than mere music. Date Sun Jun 29, 1969 - Sun Aug 24, 1969 Map Mount Morris Park 18 Mt Morris Park W Harlem New York 10027 United States AlsoKnownAs The Black Woodstock Years active 1969 Founded by Tony Lawrence Official Links Arts & Acts Abbey Lincoln B.B. Its a spirit as old school as peace and love. Did you know that during the sweltering summer of 1969 when Woodstock took place there was another legendary music festival that drew crowds of more than Kate Vlahoulis LinkedIn: #harlem #blackhistory #bhm But now you've got an education. The Harlem Cultural Festival celebrated African American music and culture. This is a feast for both ears and eyes, as the fashions and wardrobes of the era are on full, colorful display. Tony Lawrence was a music and television performer in Virginia before he moved to New York. July 13, 1969. Opens in new tab Opens in new tab Opens in new tab. It also became a place for up-and-coming politicians like Robert Kennedy to be seen. A grand unearthing of an event all but lost to wider cultural memory, Summer of Soul 's opening introduction of 1969's Harlem Cultural Festival the "Black Woodstock" is explosive . He began to use his minor fame for good, founding programs and doing civic work in Harlem. The festival had a small budget, but still attracted artists like Count Basie and Tito Puente in its first two years. Daphne A. Brooks is William R. Kenan Jr. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s assassination passed and 21 Black Panthers were indicted on charges of planning a bombing campaign across Manhattan to mark the occasion. Questlove cuts away from grainy black and white NASA videos to show Walter Cronkite and other TV reporters interviewing unimpressed black festival goers. We are Black people, and we should be proud of this. Sadly, LBJ chose to ignore the findings of the so called "Kerner Commission" which warned in part: "What white Americans have never fully understoodbut what the Negro can never forget is that white society is deeply implicated in the ghetto. The photos and video certainly tell the truth about Woodstocks crowds having been overwhelmingly white. Support is provided by: All kinds of festivals across the state of Utah including history and heritage, horse shows, science shows, outdoor festivals, jamborees, and more. Despite the controversy surrounding the Black Panthers all the concerts passed of peacefully. A hundred miles to the south of that sprawling rural rock n roll assembly, black folks were building their own musical commons. South African musician Hugh Masekela joined African American performers in the 3rd edition of the Harlem Cultural Festival's celebration of Black creativity and international solidarity. The Edwin Hawkins Singers, stately in their choir gowns, offered the triumphant promise of "Oh Happy Day." Woodstock is so present in American culture that people can recognize certain photos from it instantly. Thompsons directorial debut made waves at Sundance 2021 with archived footage and firsthand accounts about the festival. Non-violent and legislative attempts to dismantle institutionalized racism had led to a devastating series of political assassinations during the 1960s, most attributed to arcane conspiracy theories. Presented by Heritage Center Theater at Festival Hall and Heritage Theater - Cedar City, Cedar City UT. July 13, 1969. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. Later in the film The Fifth Dimension's Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. also watch footage with a similar response and it is moving. The Roots drummer and songwriter Ahmir Thompson a.k.a. Thompson could have simply strung together the musical performances for a concert film that would have rescued the event from the obscurity it was languishing in. In the film, viewers are introduced to the event's promoter and organiser, Tony Lawrence. The election threw everyone for a loop following the assassination of Robert Kennedy(a clear Presidential nominee favorite for Black Democrats) and Richard Nixons win. Your Privacy Rights Surely some of the seeds for such a movement were planted back in 69, particularly when Simone chose as her final song a felt and pointed rendition of another new number, one shed written in honor of her dear friend, the playwright Lorraine Hansberry, who had died some four years earlier. But the Black Panther Party stepped in to make sure everyone remained safe and secure. The sheer volume of talent at the time was overwhelming. In addition to the performances, the festival provided a stage for issues. Thankfully, the long wait is over, and the world can now view and understand how essential and historic these concerts were in relation to the changing times. But you have the mental capacity to read the signs of the times. Lauro runs Historic Films Archives, the nation's largest collection of musical footage. Poster advertising the event. The Harlem Cultural Festival, also known as "Black Woodstock", was a series of music concerts held in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City during the summer of 1969 to celebrate African American music and culture and to promote the continued politics of Black pride. And whenever you heard the songs you'd remember: I was there. Ethel Beaty-Barnes, then an 18-year-old fresh from her high-school graduation, still remembers what she wore to the Sly & The Family Stone concert in Harlem in 1969: a floral halter top and matching bellbottoms, her hair in a sidebun. She is currently adjunct professor with the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University. King, the avant-garde jazz activists Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach, the South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela, the groovy black pop ambassadors The 5th Dimension, the Motown up-and-comers Gladys Knight and the Pips and the youthful Stevie Wonder. Anyone can read what you share. For specifics about any event please see contact info provided with event listing or contact the host organization directly. The white interviewees all express pride and excitement but the Black interviewees point out how that money could have been better spent helping African American communities. In an Afro, mutton chops and an orange-and-yellow dashiki, Jackson also spoke at the festival: "As I look out at us rejoice today, I was hoping it would be in preparation for the major fight we as a people have on our hands here in this nation. This is different: the tension between soul and funk, civil disobedience versus Black Power, the tension of Harlem itself at the time.". 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival later known as the "Black Woodstock" Mount Morris Park, NYC 1969 festival #18 June 29 - August 24, 1969: consisted of six free Sunday afternoon concerts held between June 29 and Aurgust 24. "You had to go to the concerts. 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