Soul Power (2008)



Soul Power (2008)
The greatest music festival that you have never seen.

A documentary on the legendary soul music concert staged in Kinshasa, Zaire in 1974.

Genre(s): Documentary
Runtime: 93 minutes
Rating: 6.6/10 (132 votes)
Release Date: 4 September 2008
Country: USA
Languages: English, French
Company: Antidote Films (I)
Sound: Dolby Digital
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for some thematic elements and brief strong language.

Director(s): Jeffrey Levy-Hinte



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Producer(s):
Leon Gast - producer
Jeffrey Levy-Hinte - producer
David Sonenberg - producer

Cast:
Muhammad Ali - Himself (archive footage)
James Brown - Himself (archive footage)
Celia Cruz - Herself (archive footage)
B.B. King - Himself (archive footage)
Don King - Himself (archive footage)
Miriam Makeba - Herself (archive footage)
The Spinners - Themselves (archive footage)
Bill Withers - Himself (archive footage)

4 Responses to “Soul Power (2008)”

  1. James J Cremin (jjcremin@yahoo.com) Says:
    July 16th, 2009

    At the time of this writing, media is still mourning, marketing ordoing into sordid details of the recently departed Michael Jackson.What most people know or should know is one of Jackson's most favoriteperformers was James Brown. Brown was clearly the headliner of thishistoric concert festival that took place in Zaire in 1974.

    There were other performers that came over on the airplane to perform.Among them were the vocal group the Spinners, the instrumental groupthe Crusaders, B.B. King with his group and the Cuban Queen of Salsa,Celia Cruz. In fact, it's Cruz's group that's shown leading theimpromptu jamming and singing though in fact, they're singing inSpanish.

    We also get plenty of Don King, legal counsel Ian Strafford andMuhammed Ali. The fight is postponed due to a finger injury by GeorgeForeman who's not shown at all. This film is best seen with WHEN WEWERE KINGS to provide better context. Ali's black pride and complaintsabout the white man are recorded but this doc should have been moreabout the music. But perhaps it's needed as Brown also makes hisopinions known.

    We get to see King going through his set list but only his hit "TheThrill is Gone" is showcased. Except for Brown, the rest of theperformers also get just one song. There were a number of Africanperformers but only Miriam Makeba out of them get one song.

    Brown gets three songs and I thought the costume he was wearing a bitodd. He was into fusion jazz funk at this time which was not ascommercial as his earlier hits. He also gets the last line to end themovie. "God d**n it, you are somebody" he says as he looks into thecamera. Soul Brother Number One.

  2. timbermisc Says:
    July 20th, 2009

    Entertaining. Nice to see Muhammad Ali and James Brown and Celia Cruzand the dance styles of the Crusaders. The other African performerswere on top of their acts, too.

    You will look back on James Brown's bid to give some direction to theblack movement as uncomplicated. And it is nice to see that so much aschanged in the way of overt discrimination in the U.S.

    I felt that I wanted to see a 4 hour movie. I wanted to see the entireconcert, and that is good. It has a really funny part wherein MuhammadAli plays with someone. I won't tell you what it is about.

    James Brown pleads with you to go out on the side walk and tellyourself: "I am somebody".

    I loved the performance by Cuban artist and Diva Celia Cruz. There wereno negatives in the movie except that much of it is hand-held, grainycolor. Again, I just wanted it to go on and on.

    I got my monies worth.

  3. druid333-2 Says:
    August 3rd, 2009

    Jeffrey Levy-Hinte's film 'Soul Power'is a remarkable concertdocumentary that was filmed in Zaire in 1974,as part of the MuhammadAli/George Forman fight,known as The Rumble In The Jungle. This was a12 hour,three night festival of musical talent from various parts ofAfrica,as well as the United States. The film begins with footage ofthe preparations for the concert,and the red tape and b.s. that goesalong with putting on a concert of grand scale. Once the musicbegins,it's no holds barred. The musical talent includes,JamesBrown,The Crusaders,Miriam Makeba,B.B. King,The Fania All Stars (withthe late,great Celia Cruz), The Spinners,and a host of others.Interview footage of Muhammad Ali, Don King,and others representing theboxing match also figures as a foot note (for further details,check outLeon Gast's 'Once We Were King',which Levy-Hinte edited),about theactual match itself). The music will have you stomping holes in thefloor of the cinema that is screening it. Rated PG-13 by the MPAA,thisfilms contains a rude word or two,and some mature thematic elements

  4. Jackpollins Says:
    August 26th, 2009

    Soul Power is the story of the legendary concert in which Don Kingpromoted a concert full of African American soul artists. There wasalso a fight between Muhammed Ali and George Foreman. I walked inexpecting a soulful vibe and a fun time. I walked in expecting wrong.The film is just stock footage thrown together with no real story orfun behind it. There are very few good things. One thing is that in thefirst half they somewhat intrigue us with the question: will thisconcert actually happen? In the second half, they leave that question,and basically show boring stock footage with a couple of good shotsthrown in. You can tell the filmmakers aren't really trying to tell usabout the concert as much as throwing stock footage together. It's afilm that just leaves the audience bored. Also, I wanted less of thestock footage and more of the back story. It doesn't answer thequestions I wanted it to. Muhammed Ali has a couple of good interviews,but I wanted to see more of the back story of the fight and how thefight was connected with the concert. It was just a boring movie that'sessentially stock footage thrown together. This can only be describedas one thing…boring.

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