The Night James Brown Saved Boston

David Leaf:
The Night James Brown Saved Boston (USA, 2008)
75 min. - English
K-11

The Night James Brown Saved Boston, directed by David Leaf, concentrates on one exceptionally important gig that probably saved Boston from a huge riot. In the 1960s, USA was at two separate wars: in addition to the one in Vietnam, there was a struggle for racial equality back home – and it was getting dirty. The race war flared up on April 4, 1968 when the Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot in Memphis, Tennessee. Although King himself stood for non-violent resistance, his assassination triggered a series of riots across the country in which many people died.

James Brown had been booked to Boston Garden for the day following King’s murder. Boston was on alert: riots had already begun in the black district of Roxbury. Mayor Kevin White feared the riots might spread to white districts and wanted to cancel the concert. This probably would’ve set the already fuming city aflame. To everyone’s delight the mayor’s mind was changed and the agitated citizens had a chance to let out some steam with James Brown and his funk.

This was probably the most important gig of James Brown’s career and luckily, recording equipment was also present. With the help of the rare and smoking hot stock footage, the award-winning The Night James Brown Saved Boston documents this extraordinary night.

Check out also:

» Jonathan Furmanski: The Weird World of Blowfly
» Göran Hugo Olsson:: The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975
» Willem Alkema: Coming Back For More
» Jonathan Furmanski: The Weird World of Blowfly
» Göran Hugo Olsson:: The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975
» Willem Alkema: Coming Back For More

« back

Pe 18.11.2011 18:15 at Tapio 3