A Pop Culture Moment in Time
TGIF Content Inside: Hulu's "Summer of Soul," Disney+ “This is Me: Pride Celebration Spectacular,” and New Music Friday with Evann McIntosh, Big Red Machine feat. Taylor Swift, & María Isabel
Woodstock is globally known as more than just a music festival; it was a moment in time that capsulized a generation’s social awakening of hope and a cultural celebration of musical talent and love. Merely 100 miles south of Bethel, The Harlem Cultural Festival had its historical moment in time and Black excellence. Why is it forgotten?
Making his debut as a filmmaker, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson takes the spotlight and redirects it to the transfixing documentary— an archival celebration despite an all too familiar setting among the Black community, being overlooked and ignored. Summer of Soul is equal parts of Harlem history and musical celebration of Black culture.
The epic festivity took place over six weeks in 1969 in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park), although planning wasn’t easy. The NYPD refused help to secure the event leaving the Black Panthers to come to the aid despite having 21 of their members targeted by COINTELPRO and indicted for bombings in Manhattan and the Bronx, historically known as “The N.Y. 21.” The time parallels illuminate the subjugation of the Black community and evident why the documentary is an imperative history of representation. Music is a great equalizer and unifier, but not if it’s forgotten; woefully, that’s what occurred.
Festival footage was never seen and largely forgotten, sitting in a basement for fifty years where it’s never been seen— until now.
The Harlem Culture Festival was free to all (sponsored by Maxwell House) and was alive, with over 100,000 people in attendance. Capturing the true magic and bringing it back to life with incredible quality never-before-seen concert performances that aids, soothes, and helps usher in pure joy; with musical dopamine by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, The 5th Dimension, and more. You really can’t help but lose yourself in the historical performances. Time certainly doesn’t heal wounds; reparations can certainly help; however, Ahmir’s documentary is an important chronicle and integral part of Black History. Summer of Soul is an expansive delight.
Summer of Soul (...or, When the Revolution Could Not be Televised) is the winner of both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival. Released by Searchlight Pictures, Summer of Soul is now in theaters and streaming on Hulu (US).
June may be officially over, but Pride is all year round. Disney+ is recognizing Disney’s shortcomings in allyship and acknowledging the company’s historical record.
“At Disney+, we believe in the power of inclusive storytelling to bring us together and inspire us to live authentically,” said Joe Earley, global head of Marketing and Content Curation for Disney+. “We are committed to amplifying the voices of our LGBTQ+ creators and talent, and platforming content that reminds people to love loud— and sing louder— in this special event.”
This is Me: Pride Celebration Spectacular is a step in the right direction; with a focused variety special with the magic of Disney is ageless for every kid at heart, even if you missed out on the Sunday premiere. Catch up with the jubilee reimagine classic tales through an LGBTQ+ lens for anyone who grew up with the Disney library.
Directed by Ann Marie Pace (Launchpad, Growing Fangs), This is Me: Pride Celebration Spectacular is a delightfully vibrant lineup hosted by Nina West of RuPaul’s Drag Race and a performing roster of talent. Including Alex Newell (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, Glee), DCappella (Disney Music Group's premier a cappella singing sensation), Frankie Rodriguez, and Joe Serafini (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series), Hayley Kiyoko, Jackie Cox (RuPaul’s Drag Race), Jesse James Keitel (Big Sky), Kermit the Frog, Michael James Scott (Aladdin on Broadway), and Todrick Hall. In an especially touching performance is non-binary actor Jesse James Keitel’s moving and dedicated rendition of Toy Story’s When She Loved Me.
Alex Newell’s incendiary performance of Poor Unfortunate Souls (dressed as Ursula) and Haley Kiyoko’s Kiss the Girl from The Little Mermaid are standouts. Kermit’s classic Rainbow Connection is a crowdpleaser, and Jackie Cox’s Dragatha is fun, even if unfamiliar from non WandaVision viewers. Watch the entire spectacular below.
The special will help ensure LGBTQ+ representation by the community for the community to help a younger marginalized and alienated generation that longs for a sense of belonging. This is Me: Pride Celebration Spectacular also raises awareness for GLSEN, a nonprofit that works to ensure that LGBTQ+ students can learn and grow in a school environment free from bullying and harassment.
Friday is finally here, as is New Music Friday, so here are some of the latest tracks you should hear/watch now. Get into it below.
🎧 Evann McIntosh Electricity
Singer-songwriter Evann McIntosh continues on their upward trajectory with an established fanbase on TikTok; it’s easy to see their musical passion when hearing their soulful and melodic voice that soothes like a quiet storm with an occasional thundering of voltaic proportions.
Evann will drop their self-released debut project, Character Development, out August 27th via Mom+Pop and tour alongside a four-piece band to venues across the country.
Evann says that “'ELECTRICITY' is a very nice song about wanting to preserve the spark between you and somebody – the way someone would want to not waste electricity. I shot the music video with Caleb Carnell & his friends. I’m an electrician, it’s wild.” Watch Electricity below.
EVANN MCINTOSH TOUR DATES:
October 23, 2021 — Minneapolis, MN — 7th St Entry
October 24, 2021 — Chicago, IL — Schubas
October 26, 2021 — Boston, MA – Sonia
October 28, 2021 — Washington, DC — Songbyrd
October 29, 2021 — New York, NY — Baby's All Right
October 31, 2021 — San Francisco, CA — Outside Lands
November 02, 2021 — Los Angeles, CA —Moroccan Lounge
🎧 Big Red Machine Renegade
Big Red Machine, otherwise known as the duo of Aaron Dessner and Justin Vernon, share one of two Taylor Swift featured songs from the upcoming album How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last? due out August 27th via Jagjaguwar / 37d03d.
“While we were making folklore and evermore last year, Taylor and I sometimes talked about experimenting and writing songs together someday for Big Red Machine. Making music with your friends just to make it -- that's how Big Red Machine started and has grown -- and that's how Renegade came about too. This song was something we wrote after we finished evermore and it dawned on us that this was a BRM song. Taylor's words hit me so hard when I heard her first voice memo and still do, every time. Justin lifted the song further into the heavens, and my brother [Bryce Dessner]'s strings and drummer Jason Treuting add so much. The feeling and sound of this song feel very much at the heart of ‘How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last?’ I'm so grateful to Taylor for continuing to share her incredible talent with me and that we are still finding excuses to make music together.”
Recorded in Los Angeles during the same week that Dessner and Swift won a Grammy for Album of the Year (Folklore), Renegade has an accompanying video directed by Michael Brown; watch below.
🎧 María Isabel No Soy Para Ti
Dominican-American artist María Isabel turns the pages of her new musical chapter with a new single, No Soy Para Ti, since signing to Warner Records.
Vibing and flowing like a stream ebbs and flows, No Soy Para Ti is a dulcet beauty and mood, translating to ‘not for you’; the video expands on its message. Directed by Alfred Marroquin, it focuses on María's return home to New York to realize her self-love and appreciation. Something mightier than any other connection of idealizing someone else.
The song follows her previous two-track release, Buy Your Own Flowers and Love Song. The latter María performed in a COLORS session in partnership with Burberry last month; the songstress is also currently featured in Vogue.
This weekend I plan to rewatch Zola because Janicza Bravo’s directorial of a Twitter thread come to life is the kind of pop culture we deserve.