Saturday, July 10, 2021

The Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969 Becomes the Summer of Soul

 


When people think about music festivals in 1969 everyone talks about the Woodstock Music and Art FAir held in upstate New York.  The Harlem Cultural Festival that was held as 6 concerts from June 29 - August 24, 1969, has been forgotten. Some people referred to it as the Black Woodstock.  It included performances by Nina Simone, B.B. King, Sly and the Family Stone[1], Chuck Jackson, Abbey Lincoln & Max Roach, the 5th Dimension, David Ruffin, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Stevie Wonder, Mahalia Jackson, and Moms Mabley, among others.

Finally, after 52 years a documentary film called Summer of  Soul was produced and released to Hulu and selected theaters.  Today we took a drive to the Kew Gardens Cinema and saw it there.  I highly recommend it to my oldies music friends.


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