Follow us wherever you get your podcasts: Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson on how sifting through 40 hours of archival footage of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival — where legends like Nina Simone and Stevie Wonder performed in the same summer as Woodstock — led to his debut documentary, “Summer of Soul.” Plus, how the parallel protests of 2020 and 1969, as …
Sly Stone performing at the Harlem Cultural Festival in 1969, featured in the documentary “Summer of Soul.” The Times is committed to reviewing theatrical film releases during the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was filmed to spectacular effect but, we’re told, “the footage sat in a basement for 50 years” because there was no interest in a “Black Woodstock.” “Nobody ever …
NEW YORK — Questlove responded with incredulous disbelief when he was first told about the footage. Known as “Black Woodstock,” the festival occurred during the same summer as Woodstock — and just 100 miles away — but received far less attention. “Summer of Soul,” Questlove’s directorial debut, finally unearths a little-seen landmark musical event. As the Roots drummer, the “Tonight” …
