Activate your BLOCKBUSTER On Demand device

Soul Power (2008)

Soul Power (2008)
Play Trailer and Clips
Member Rating:  
Presented in conjunction with the landmark "Rumble in the Jungle" boxing match between famed pugilists Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, Zaire '74 was a three-day music festival in Kinshasa that was organized by South African musician Hugh Masekela and American record producer Stewart Levine, and featured performances by such famed musicians as James Brown, Bill Withers, and B.B. King, among others. Many of the American musicians performing at Zaire '74 had been emboldened by the American Civil Rights movement, and saw their journey to Africa as a unique opportunity not just to perform for a new set of enthusiastic fans, but to explore their roots as well. However, while the forward-thinking promoters of Zaire '74 hired a talented team of documentary filmmakers to capture everything from the setup to the performances to everyday life in Kinshasa, the project ran into trouble when the Liberian investment group that financed the festival and film ran into some rather serious legal disputes. For the next three decades, the remarkable footage would sit untouched and unedited -- a valuable sociohistorical artifact seemingly forgotten, and left to succumb to the ravages of time. Later, in 1996, the rights were settled in order to help facilitate the completion of When We Were Kings, an Academy Award-winning documentary focusing on the very same Ali/Foreman match that took place alongside the Zaire '74 music festival. Recognizing the need to assemble the neglected Zaire '74 footage while it was still possible, When We Were Kings editor Jeffrey Levy-Hinte made it his own personal mission to see the long gestating project through to completion. The result is not simply a concert film featuring some of the most popular African and American musicians of the era, but also a pure cinéma vérité glimpse into a time when the musical crossover between the two nations was just beginning to emerge. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

 Read More


Director(s):
Jeffrey Levy-Hinte
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
PG13
Format(s):
DVD  |  Blu-ray  | Digital SD
View All Versions to rent and buy
 
 
 
 

Synopsis of Soul Power

Presented in conjunction with the landmark "Rumble in the Jungle" boxing match between famed pugilists Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, Zaire '74 was a three-day music festival in Kinshasa that was organized by South African musician Hugh Masekela and American record producer Stewart Levine, and featured performances by such famed musicians as James Brown, Bill Withers, and B.B. King, among others. Many of the American musicians performing at Zaire '74 had been emboldened by the American Civil Rights movement, and saw their journey to Africa as a unique opportunity not just to perform for a new set of enthusiastic fans, but to explore their roots as well. However, while the forward-thinking promoters of Zaire '74 hired a talented team of documentary filmmakers to capture everything from the setup to the performances to everyday life in Kinshasa, the project ran into trouble when the Liberian investment group that financed the festival and film ran into some rather serious legal disputes. For the next three decades, the remarkable footage would sit untouched and unedited -- a valuable sociohistorical artifact seemingly forgotten, and left to succumb to the ravages of time. Later, in 1996, the rights were settled in order to help facilitate the completion of When We Were Kings, an Academy Award-winning documentary focusing on the very same Ali/Foreman match that took place alongside the Zaire '74 music festival. Recognizing the need to assemble the neglected Zaire '74 footage while it was still possible, When We Were Kings editor Jeffrey Levy-Hinte made it his own personal mission to see the long gestating project through to completion. The result is not simply a concert film featuring some of the most popular African and American musicians of the era, but also a pure cinéma vérité glimpse into a time when the musical crossover between the two nations was just beginning to emerge. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Theatrical Feature Running Time:
93 mins

Complete Cast of Soul Power


Director(s):
Jeffrey Levy-Hinte
Producer(s):
Stewart LevineHugh MasekelaDavid Sonenberg
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
PG13
Categories:
Documentary
Looking for special editions of Soul Power?
See All Versions
Subtitles:
Check All Versions
Closed Captioning:
Check All Versions
 
 
 
 

BY MAIL

Monthly Subscription 
NEW! 7 - Day Rental
No subscription required. Usually ships in 24 hours.
 
BuyPreviously Viewed   $7.99
(disc only)  
Previously Viewed   $9.99
(disc, case & artwork)

New  from  $14.99
 

IN-STORE

 

ON DEMAND


Available to:  Watch on 103 devices.
See system requirements.
 

What's Your Take?

Add to FavoritesIn Favorites  |  Share:     Email to a friendShare on FacebookShare on Twitter
YOUR REVIEW
WRITE A REVIEW
 
1000 
 
Member Reviews
 
Mattie H.

Very good history lesson. A must see for everyone.

Yes   |   No

 
Edgar F.

If you love music, then you have to rent this. Not only are the artists and the music great, but the documentary is excellent as well. Sit back and take a ride back to 1974. Enjoy!!!

Yes   |   No

 
John S.

Excellent concert documentary on the music festival held in Zaire during the Ali-Foremen bout. Amazing footage of James Brown,The Spinners,The Crusaders,Miriam Makeba and my favorite act on the bill-The Fania All Stars with Celia Cruz. Simply amazing!

Yes   |   No

 
Read All 7 Reviews