Make It Funky

Make It FunkyOVERVIEW

Genre: Feature Documentary
Language: English
Country of Origin: USA
Medium: HD


CAST & CREW

Director: Michael Murphy
Producer: Cilista Eberle, Michael Murphy
Executive Producer: Daniel Roth
Cast: Allen Toussaint, Aaron Neville, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Bonnie Raitt, The Dirty Dozen Band, Earl Palmer, funky Meters, Irma Thomas, Irvin Mayfield, Ivan Neville, Jon Cleary, Keith Richards, Kermit Ruffins, Lloyd Price, Monk Boudreaux & The Golden Eagles, The Neville Brothers, Snooks Eaglin, Troy Andrews, and Walter “Wolfman” Washington. Special commentaries by: Ahmet Ertegun - legendary co-founder of Atlantic Records; Jim Russell - radio promoter; Cosimo Matassa - owner of the renowned J&M studio; Bob French - jazz drummer & the leader of New Orleans’ oldest existing traditional jazz band; and Victor Harris - Big Chief of the FiYiYi Mardi Gras Indians. Archive performances by Professor Longhair and Fats Domino.
Distributor: Worldwide - Sony Pictures
Producer's Representative: Ostrow and Company

REVIEW

“An apt, wrenching elegy for (New Orleans) unique contribution to American Culture.” - A.O. Scott, New York Times



SYNOPSIS

MAKE IT FUNKY ! is the story of New Orleans, and the people who composed songs that changed the world of music and influenced the course of rhythm & blues and rock & roll.

New Orleans has nurtured generations of remarkable musicians. From the early brass bands and jazz pioneers came Louis Armstrong, who sent New Orleans music out into the world. Rhythm & blues innovator, Fats Domino, was one of the first African American artists to play for white audiences, and is considered one of the founders of rock & roll. Legendary New Orleans drummer, Earl Palmer, created the backbeat that continues to sustain the rhythms of rock & roll.

New Orleans music is the heart of American music. Its beats have resonated around the world for over a hundred years. Its traditions go back much farther and are a culmination of many cultures and influences. The music is unique to the city, but has had a profound affect on popular music around the world. New Orleans continues to be a mecca for musicians and music lovers looking to take away with them a bit of the New Orleans mystique. MAKE IT FUNKY ! is the story of the people and music that created this legacy

What is the beat at the heart of New Orleans music? The roots come from the rhythms of the tribes and communities of Africa and the Caribbean Islands. These beats spread out through the streets picking up new elements, and then were woven together in the fabric of New Orleans society and created funk. Funk permeates all that is New Orleans, from the way people dance to the way they listen to, and play music. Slaves and free people of color created music that “remembered” their past. They defied racial and social barriers, and used music to create a future for subsequent generations, and a social and musical legacy that is unsurpassed in any other American city.

After Hurricane Katrina and the collapse of the levees, this film has taken on new meaning. It is not only a tribute to the past heritage of New Orleans, it is also a reminder of what New Orleans will be again if the people and culture are supported, as well as the rebuilding of the physical structures of the city.