Soul Power (2009)

85% of critics liked it
(72 reviews)
68% of users liked it
(2,987 ratings)

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… More 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

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 33 min.
Directed By: Jeffrey Levy-Hinte
Genres: Musical & Performing Arts, Documentary

In Theaters: Jul 10, 2009 Wide
On DVD: Jan 26, 2010
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

Critic Reviews

Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
Soul Power turns out to be an unusually resonant time capsule, one that weaves together theatrics, musicianship, cosmopolitanism and sharp political critique in a vibrant look-back that's at once celebratory and wistful.
Dan DeLuca, Philadelphia Inquirer
It packs the emotional and historical power of a heady 'family gathering' celebration of African and, to use the term then in fashion, Afro-American pride.
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
Watching the Godfather of Soul on the big outdoor stage, you think back to his appearance in The T.A.M.I. Show a decade earlier. And then you think: I feel good.
Greg Quill, Toronto Star
A dazzling chronicle of the African American music expo that was meant to accompany the 1974 Rumble in the Jungle heavyweight title bout between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire (now Congo).
James Adams, Globe and Mail
A non-stop head-bobbing knee-bouncer.
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
As the record of a cultural event, Soul Power is a hit-and-miss affair.
Kelly Vance, East Bay Express
Soul Power is a window into a time when anything seemed possible.
Rob Thomas, Capital Times (Madison, WI)
B.B. King. Bill Withers. Miriam Makeba. Celia Cruz. And James Brown, earning every inch of the title, "Godfather of Soul," who all by himself probably deforested a few acres around Kinshasa with the volcanic blast of his set.
Sean O'Connell, Charlotte Weekly
Does its part to widen this historic concert's potential audience base.
Michele Kenner, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Watching Soul Power is like flipping through Polaroids of that era. The color is a little washed out and everyone looks amazingly young.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
It's hard not to wish that maybe there was a little less of Muhammad Ali promoting himself and a little more of the concert.
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
...if you are a fan of any of the musicians ... or maybe I should say if you're completely unfamiliar with any of the musicians mentioned - then Soul Power is well worth seeing. Or at least hearing.
Chris Kaltenbach, Baltimore Sun
For a documentary about a music festival, Soul Power doesn't include nearly enough music.
Jeff Vice, Deseret News, Salt Lake City
The movie is surprisingly dry and flavorless. It certainly doesn't help that filmmaker Jeffrey Levy-Hinte put this collection of footage together without any narration and with a bare minimum of narrative captions.
John Beifuss, Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)
The performances are fine, but this feels like a companion piece to 'When We Were Kings' rather than a work that can stand on its own...
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul), St. Paul Pioneer Press
Soul Power leaves you wanting more, and not in a good way.
Shawn Levy, Oregonian
It's best seen as a breezy entertainment and a reminder of how potent some of these performers -- many of whom are dead -- were in their primes.
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
It's impossible not to be moved.
Jonathan Takiff, Philadelphia Daily News
Ultimately it's the music that makes this film a cause for celebration -- especially the chance to see 'Soul Brother #1' James Brown and his blistering band perform at their absolute prime.
Tom Keogh, Seattle Times
Soul Power is the indispensable companion film to Leon Gast's thrilling 1996 documentary When We Were Kings.

Read all 21 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

El Hombre I

SOUL POWER offers a different view surrounding the events of The Rumble In The Jungle In Zaire-1974. A decent companion to When We Were Kings, but nowhere near as engaging as it could have been. With icons that are larger than life today as they were then, the documentary falls… More
SOUL POWER offers a different view surrounding the events of The Rumble In The Jungle In Zaire-1974. A decent companion to When We Were Kings, but nowhere near as engaging as it could have been. With icons that are larger than life today as they were then, the documentary falls short on piecing together the performances. That's not to say the performances are anything less that fantastic, I just felt the ball was dropped in the editing room with even the beginning of the film taking a bit of time to get steam going. The song choices showcased in the film are the "all too familiar" selections from the artists instead of others which may be lesser known but just as, if not more, powerful. Some of the performances which ended up on the deleted scenes portion of the dvd had me asking why they weren't included in the very short time capsule the film attempts to deliver. Still worth watching, but mostly served as a reminder of how great the documenatary "When We Were Kings" actually is. <a href="http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/?action=view¤t=SoulPower.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/SoulPower.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Walter M

"Soul Power" is an enjoyable concert film about the three day music festival that was scheduled to complement the Muhammad Ali-George Foreman title fight in Kinshasa, Zaire in 1974. Even with the fight delayed for several weeks due to injury, the show must still go on and… More
"Soul Power" is an enjoyable concert film about the three day music festival that was scheduled to complement the Muhammad Ali-George Foreman title fight in Kinshasa, Zaire in 1974. Even with the fight delayed for several weeks due to injury, the show must still go on and what a show it was with The Spinners, B.B. King and the Godfather of Soul, James Brown("He'll make your bladder splatter." The coolest intro ever.). Most impressive for me was African musicians including Miriam Makeba. The whole festival was a celebration of the music's roots, allowing the American and African musicians to interact. On a personal level, the Americans demonstrated their solidarity with the African people. If anything, the movie is too short and there could have definitely been more of the music. The behind the scenes footage only proves how difficult it is to put on a concert like this while reminding us all what a great wordsmith Muhammad Ali used to be.
Lesley N

Not released until 2009, this is the documentary of 1974 music festival run in conjunction with the Rumble In The Jungle in Zaire. There's a surprisingly small amount of actual performances (though you get a few extra in Special Features on the DVD), but in return you get a whole… More
Not released until 2009, this is the documentary of 1974 music festival run in conjunction with the Rumble In The Jungle in Zaire. There's a surprisingly small amount of actual performances (though you get a few extra in Special Features on the DVD), but in return you get a whole load of background scenes of the time and the place , a bunch of late great musicians hanging out and partying, James Brown at his feverish gyrating best and a very cute, very young Sister Sledge. Magic.
James B

An awesome movie! Maybe not the best documentary, as it doesn't exactly go into too much detail about the Zaire '74 show, or its production. But just seeing and hearing the performances and the energy of all the artists was inspiring! This was a promising time for black… More
An awesome movie! Maybe not the best documentary, as it doesn't exactly go into too much detail about the Zaire '74 show, or its production. But just seeing and hearing the performances and the energy of all the artists was inspiring! This was a promising time for black artists and you got the sense that they all were very happy/blessed to be a part of such a monumental event! I'm hoping that more of the concert footage can be released on home video!
matt s

Concert movies can be hit or miss. The best ones always make you wanna go back to that time and be a part of it. They also have a great soundtrack. This movie is no exception. These sounds make you think Goddamn, why can't pop music be this good these days? I mean these… More
Concert movies can be hit or miss. The best ones always make you wanna go back to that time and be a part of it. They also have a great soundtrack. This movie is no exception. These sounds make you think Goddamn, why can't pop music be this good these days? I mean these performers had soul and groove and badass songs. Nowadays...please. Tim will eat this one up for the performances. It kinda left me hanging with the overall feel of the performance and the anxiety, but I got so wrapped up in the music and the performances that I didn't care. A joy to watch.

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Soul Power (2009)

Critic Reviews

Featured Audience Ratings

El Hombre I

Walter M

Lesley N

James B

matt s

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