The show must go on! The Zaire ‘74 Music Festival is underway. The sounds of the diaspora grace the stage, united by the drum. Bill Withers stuns listeners with his raw talent. BB King wails on his guitar in one of his all-time best performances. Celia Cruz croons to the crowd, who finds an unexpected familiarity in her Afro-Latina rhythms. Miriam Makeba hypnotizes her audience and ties the whole ensemble together with her unifying spirit. And finally, James Brown emerges to close out the show. His performance makes history as he steps into the crowd and shares the mic with his fans under the rising sun; together they shout “I’m Black and I’m Proud”. This is the Soul of ‘74.

LITERARY REFERENCES

“The Rumble in the Jungle” by Lewis Erenberg

“Hit Me, Fred” by Fred Wesley (autobiography) 

“LATIN N.Y.” magazine, editor-in-chief, Diane Weathers

“Lawdy Miss Clawdy: The True King of the ‘50s” by Lloyd Price and William Waller (autobiography)

OTHER REFERENCE MATERIALS

“When We Were Kings” (Documentary by Leon Gast and David Soneberg)

“Soul Power” (Documentary by Jeffery Kusama-Hinte and David Sonenberg)

 

The show must go on! The Zaire &lsquo;74 Music Festival is underway. The sounds of the diaspora grace the stage, united by the drum. Bill Withers stuns listeners with his raw talent. BB King wails on his guitar in one of his all-time best performances. Celia Cruz croons to the crowd, who finds an unexpected familiarity in her Afro-Latina rhythms. Miriam Makeba hypnotizes her audience and ties the whole ensemble together with her unifying spirit. And finally, James Brown emerges to close out the show. His performance makes history as he steps into the crowd and shares the mic with his fans under the rising sun; together they shout &ldquo;I&rsquo;m Black and I&rsquo;m Proud&rdquo;. This is the Soul of &lsquo;74.
LITERARY REFERENCES
&ldquo;The Rumble in the Jungle&rdquo; by Lewis Erenberg
&ldquo;Hit Me, Fred&rdquo; by Fred Wesley (autobiography)&nbsp;
&ldquo;LATIN N.Y.&rdquo; magazine, editor-in-chief, Diane Weathers
&ldquo;Lawdy Miss Clawdy: The True King of the &lsquo;50s&rdquo; by Lloyd Price and William Waller (autobiography)
OTHER REFERENCE MATERIALS
&ldquo;When We Were Kings&rdquo; (Documentary by Leon Gast and David Soneberg)
&ldquo;Soul Power&rdquo; (Documentary by Jeffery Kusama-Hinte and David Sonenberg)
&nbsp;

Fall 2024 marks 50 years since both the legendary Rumble in the Jungle fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, and the Zaire’ 74 music festival, headlined by the likes of James Brown, BB King, Miriam Makeba and myriad other stars.



Muhammad Ali’s life bobs and weaves through an era of revolutions and disruptive social change in both the US and Africa. In the lead up to this highly politicized superfight, Ali and many other freedom fighters are forced to confront old truths and build bridges toward understanding while they learn to wield the power of influence and sacrifice. Featuring personal accounts of the monumental effort it took to put on these events, Rumble walks backstage with a staggeringly powerful group of fighters, performers, producers and activists, uplifting the legacy of Black Excellence. 

Fall 2024 marks 50 years since both the legendary Rumble in the Jungle fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, and the Zaire’ 74 music festival, headlined by the likes of James Brown, BB King, Miriam Makeba and myriad other stars.
 
Muhammad Ali’s life bobs and weaves through an era of revolutions and disruptive social change in both the US and Africa. In the lead up to this highly politicized superfight, Ali and many other freedom fighters are forced to confront old truths and build bridges toward understanding while they learn to wield the power of influence and sacrifice. Featuring personal accounts of the monumental effort it took to put on these events, Rumble walks backstage with a staggeringly powerful group of fighters, performers, producers and activists, uplifting the legacy of Black Excellence.

Rumble: Ali/Foreman and The Soul of '74

THE SOUL OF '74

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/27e5a05b-9f6f-437e-88b1-b25e0171e0f3/transcript

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