Soul Power

Entertaining. Nice to see Muhammad Ali and James Brown and Celia Cruz and the dance styles of the Crusaders. The other African performers were on top of their acts, too.

You will look back on James Brown's bid to give some direction to the black movement as uncomplicated. And it is nice to see that so much as changed in the way of overt discrimination in the U.S.

I felt that I wanted to see a 4 hour movie. I wanted to see the entire concert, and that is good. It has a really funny part wherein Muhammad Ali plays with someone. I won't tell you what it is about.

James Brown pleads with you to go out on the side walk and tell yourself: "I am somebody".

I loved the performance by Cuban artist and Diva Celia Cruz. There were no negatives in the movie except that much of it is hand-held, grainy color. Again, I just wanted it to go on and on.

I got my monies worth.

"When We Were Kings" was a great film with soul and spirit explaining how this music festival and a world boxing match with Ali wound up in Zaire in 1974. I was hungry for more.

This short film just has 20 minutes of music and a lot of boring pointless dialog. Leon Gast had been hired to do the rockumentary of the festival so presumably the whole thing is on film. Most of the performances must still be on filmstock in Gast's apartment. This film is a disgrace and feels like the leftovers from "When We Were Kings"

Pros: Anytime James Brown or Muhammad Ali is on screen the world lights up. Miriam Makeba is awesome!

Cons: Only one song by Bill Withers. Only one song by BB King. Only one song by Miriam Makeba.

It's 1974 Kinshasa, Zaire. Promoters Hugh Masekela and Stewart Levine are organizing a companion music festival for the Ali-Foreman fight. It is to be the combination of African American music and musicians from mother Africa. James Brown is the headliner. A few days before the event, the fight is delayed due to Foreman's eye cut. The problem is that the music festival can not be delayed. The show must go on. This documentary starts like a freight train with James Brown and Soul Power. The main problem stems from the fact that it doesn't follow one person. It's a scattered way to tell a narrative. There is no structure. It's more like a series of behind-the-scenes snippets. There are amazing scenes of the stars talking, and some great musical performances. It's a nice series of vignettes that allows the audience to travel back in time to a specific place.

At the time of this writing, media is still mourning, marketing or doing into sordid details of the recently departed Michael Jackson. What most people know or should know is one of Jackson's most favorite performers was James Brown. Brown was clearly the headliner of this historic concert festival that took place in Zaire in 1974.

There were other performers that came over on the airplane to perform. Among them were the vocal group the Spinners, the instrumental group the Crusaders, B.B. King with his group and the Cuban Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz. In fact, it's Cruz's group that's shown leading the impromptu jamming and singing though in fact, they're singing in Spanish.

We also get plenty of Don King, legal counsel Ian Strafford and Muhammed Ali. The fight is postponed due to a finger injury by George Foreman who's not shown at all. This film is best seen with WHEN WE WERE KINGS to provide better context. Ali's black pride and complaints about the white man are recorded but this doc should have been more about the music. But perhaps it's needed as Brown also makes his opinions known.

We get to see King going through his set list but only his hit "The Thrill is Gone" is showcased. Except for Brown, the rest of the performers also get just one song. There were a number of African performers but only Miriam Makeba out of them get one song.

Brown gets three songs and I thought the costume he was wearing a bit odd. He was into fusion jazz funk at this time which was not as commercial as his earlier hits. He also gets the last line to end the movie. "God d**n it, you are somebody" he says as he looks into the camera. Soul Brother Number One.

Jeffrey Levy-Hinte's film 'Soul Power'is a remarkable concert documentary that was filmed in Zaire in 1974,as part of the Muhammad Ali/George Forman fight,known as The Rumble In The Jungle. This was a 12 hour,three night festival of musical talent from various parts of Africa,as well as the United States. The film begins with footage of the preparations for the concert,and the red tape and b.s. that goes along with putting on a concert of grand scale. Once the music begins,it's no holds barred. The musical talent includes,James Brown,The Crusaders,Miriam Makeba,B.B. King,The Fania All Stars (with the late,great Celia Cruz), The Spinners,and a host of others. Interview footage of Muhammad Ali, Don King,and others representing the boxing match also figures as a foot note (for further details,check out Leon Gast's 'Once We Were King',which Levy-Hinte edited),about the actual match itself). The music will have you stomping holes in the floor of the cinema that is screening it. Rated PG-13 by the MPAA,this films contains a rude word or two,and some mature thematic elements