Wattstax is a 1973 documentary film by Mel Stuart that focused on the 1972 Wattstax music festival and the African American community of Watts in Los Angeles. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Documentary Film in 1974.
The concert was held at the Los Angeles Coliseum on August 20, 1972 and organized by Memphis's Stax Records to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the Watts riots. Wattstax was seen by some as "the Afro-American answer to Woodstock". In order to enable as many members of the black community in L.A. as possible, tickets were sold for only $1.00 each. The Reverend Jesse Jackson gave the invocation, which included his "I Am - Somebody" poem, which was recited in a call and response with the assembled stadium crowd. Interspersed between songs are interviews with Richard Pryor, Ted Lange and others who discuss the black experience in America.
Documentary with a selection from a non-stop 7-hour musical event at Watts, the Los Angeles Coliseum, August 20, 1972. It's a sort of Woodstock event but with black artists, namely the groups Dramatics, Staple Singers, Rance Allen Group, Emotions, Bar Kays, Mel & Tim. Written by Artemis-9
This is a documentary about the 1972 Watts Summer Festival, which culminated in a day long concert at a sold out Los Angeles Coliseum. The concert was headlined by Issac Hayes and the support acts included Rufus Thomas and his daughter Carla, the Bar Kays and the Staple Singers. The film also features commentary by many African Americans who comment on how things were in Watts since the riots that tore the city apart seven years earlier. Written by Brian Washington
