Back in 1974, when Ali fought Frazer in Kinshasha, Zaire - the "Rumble in the Jungle" - Don King decided to hold a soul music festival at the same venue. They filmed it, but never got in released in 2008 as Soul Power.
The musical lineup for this festival was amazing: The Spinners, Sister Sledge, B.B. King, Miriam Makeba, Celia Cruz and the Fania All Stars, Manu Dibango, all culminating in the Number 1 Soul Brother, the Godfather of Soul, James Brown.
Unfortunately, not a lot of this got into the movie. In a 90-minute movie, about an hour is the preparations, politics and problems of setting up this festival. It was kind of interesting, but it should have been in outtakes, with more of the music. Only 3 or 4 bands get a whole number. Sister Sledge is shown rehearsing a dance number only. James Brown gets a couple of songs, but that's it.
They probably did what they could with the footage available. It's even possible that they made this movie out of outtakes from When We Were Kings, a great documentary about the fight itself.
So, good movie, some great music, too much talking. Shut up and cut to the concert footage.
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- Beveridge D. Spenser
- I'm Beveridge D. Spenser, but you can call me Cool Bev. Or Fruity Bev. I'm 6'2", so Tall Bev also applies.
1 comment:
Foreman, not Frazier. "When We Were Kings" is outstanding. This one sounds over-edited, which is too bad.
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