Starring James Brown, Bill Withers, B.B King, and Miriam Makeba
Directed by Jeff Levy-Hinte
Music and Lyrics by various
Having enjoyed the two documentaries on major black concerts I watched last year, I thought I'd dig up another one for Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend. This one had originally been intended as a lead-in to the big Mohammad Ali-George Foreman Rumble In the Jungle boxing match in what was then known as Zaire during September 1974. While the match ended up being delayed until October due to injury, the show went on...and what a show! Let's join James Brown on-stage and see how well this "rumble in the jungle" worked...
The Story: The people of Zaire join James Brown and some of the biggest names in rock and soul for this concert, representing the best of African music - in the US and the continent - at the time. Meanwhile, Mohammed Ali spends the documentary discussing the black experience in America and building up his own importance to the fight and to breaking the dominance of imperialism in Africa. He's encouraged by promoter Don King, who created the fight and helped develop the festival with music producers Hugh Masekela and Stewart Levine.
The Song and Dance: The real fun here is the footage from the first half of the show. We get to see how the concert worked, and how hospitable the citizens of Zaire were to their guests. Some of their numbers are just darn fun; there's some amazing dancers in the Congo. The backstage footage is equally fascinating and even more fun - check out that kickline half-way through! We also get rare and wonderful footage of James Brown and Mohammad Ali in their prime.
Favorite Number: We open with Brown's searing performance of the title song, and end with three jams, his "Cold Sweat," the dynamic "I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me)," and "Say It Loud (I'm Black and Proud)." He shows off his "Same Beat" during the credits. The Spinners croon their way through their big hit "One of a Kind Love Affair." African singers and dancers Lita Bembo and Les Stukaas really jam with her "Bakobosana" with the crowd before the show. Bill Withers insists that he'll "Hope She'll Be Happier" in his one number. B.B King also gives us a touching performances of one of his signature tunes. "The Thrill Is Gone." Mixed race group Sister Sledge really jam with their "On and On." The Crusaders insist that the crowd will "Put It Where You Want It."
But the show really belongs to the Africans. Miriam Makeba has an absolutely blast with "The Click Song" as she shimmies around the stage. Likewise, samba legend Ceila Cruz joins African favorites Fania All Stars for "Quimbara." Her wild, colorful gown alone is worth seeing. OK Jazz were one of the biggest successes in Africa during the 60's and 70's, and they show why with their girl in leopard skins gyrating to "Simba Nkoni." Likewise, we get two very intense dancers who are so into the music, they're literally writhing on the floor at one point during "Ponte Duro."
What I Don't Like: This really should have been longer. I know most of the footage for Ali went into the Oscar-winning documentary on the fight When We Were Kings, but did they have anything else left for this? There are more musical numbers - they're on the DVD. The footage is pretty rough, too, more than on the comparable Soul to Soul and Summer of Soul, both of which are older than this.
The Big Finale: Would actually make a nice companion to When We Were Kings or Soul to Soul for fans of Brown, Ali, or the soul, rock, and samba music of the 1970's.
Home Media: Easily found on disc and streaming, often for under $10.
No comments:
Post a Comment