Wattstax

“Do the Funky Chicken!” Just like Rufus Thomas sings.

In 1972 a spectacular concert took place in Los Angeles in memory of the race riots seven years earlier. The concert was organized by the leading record label Stax Records, famous for Memphis Soul, and watched by an audience of 100,000.

The dynamic film recording of this “black Woodstock” devotes as much attention to the music - from gospel through blues to soul and funk - as to the life of the Afro-American in the metropolis.

Legendary performances include Rufus Thomas, The Staple Singers and Isaac Hayes (Shaft Theme) peppered with filmed real-life interviews with local residents about racial questions and the hilarious monologues of a youthful Richad Pryor.