Music Movie Monday: Summer of Soul - Questlove

Three Mondays in a row, our team carefully selected three documentaries that present unique angles on stories about music.

One looks into the personal story of a band within the setting of a live concert, another shows courageous attempts to break down (musical) barriers, and a third sheds light on an almost forgotten historical festival that has been captured in a mesmerizing docu. This Music Movie Monday is curated by Bjorne Baeten, Gijs Ieven & Eline Vancraeyveldt.

Summer of Soul - Questlove

"Summer of Soul" is a breathtaking documentary about the forgotten Harlem Cultural Festival, also known as 'Black Woodstock.' There's a good chance you're familiar with the legendary Woodstock festival, but you might not have heard of the Harlem Cultural Festival. What a shame! This historical event took place in the same summer of 1969 in Mount Morris Park, less than 160 kilometers from Woodstock. The festival comprised a series of six free concerts and attracted over 300,000 attendees.

Iconic musicians such as B.B. King, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, and a very young Stevie Wonder performed here as well. Surprisingly, no one wanted the recordings, not even under the label 'Black Woodstock.' Consequently, over forty hours of legendary and vibrant material ended up in the basement of one of the organizers.