A summer festival in 1969 brings to mind the obvious - Woodstock. Was there anything else? Maybe a six week long festival in the streets of Harlem that seemed to go under the radar of pop culture for decades? In today's world it seems inconceivable that something so epic, featuring some of the greatest musicians of all times, Stevie Wonder, The Staple Singers, Mahalia Jackson, Nina Simone, could go unnoticed by most of American culture for over five decades.
Though this festival was filmed and recorded, only bits of it were shown on TV before Questlove (of The Roots) got his hands on it. Watching the footage and listening to the soundtrack, you can feel the life, the energy, the desire for a revolution and change. The music encompasses joy, upbeat rhythms, anger, urgency and pride, sometimes all at once.
Take a listen to our featured album of the week by listening to KAXE/KBXE.
