September 15. 2004
_____________Cl” P o rtla u b (Obstruer
Page A3
1972 Black IVOOdSfOCk’ Comes Alive
‘Wattstax’
captures feelings
of the streets
(A P )— On Aug. 2 0 ,1972, seven years
after the urban upheaval in the Watts
neighborhood ot Los A ngeles, some
112.000peoplecametogetherforadaylong
concert that would become known as the
“black W oodstock."
They filled Los Angeles Memorial Coli­
seum to hear performances by Isaac Hayes,
Albert King, the Staple Singers, Rufus and
Carla Thomas, the Bar-Kays and more
Staged by black-owned Stax Records,
the Wattstax concert was not only a way
to promote (he young, Memphis soul label
and its artists, but also to celebrate black
culture and renewed hope for a troubled
community looking to rebuild itself.
Stax President Art Bell decided to film
the concert “for historical purposes.” The
result: the 1973 documentary “W attstax,"
which made its broadcast TV debut this
month on the PBS series “P.O.V.” The
airing coincides with the W arner Bros.
DVD release o f the film.
In a recent interview. Bell said he wanted
“W attstax” to be more than just another
concert film.
"W e needed to demonstrate that our
music is an embodiment o f the black expe­
rience and what goes on in the lives o f our
people,” he said.
Bell retained noted documentary film­
makers David W olper and Mel Stuart,
providing them, he said, "with some o f the
best black camera people we could find” in
order to capture "the correct perspective
in presenting the black experience.”
The mostly black crews scoured the
street comers, barbershops, restaurants
and churches of Watts, talking to people
about politics, religion, music and rela­
tionships.
But artistically, Stuart believed the film
needed more o f a defining perspective, “a
chorus like in ‘Henry V,’ a guy who tells
you the meaning o f the film," he said. "But
I wanted somebody really funny, but who
could really express the deep feelings of
the com munity.”
Stax executives took Stuart to a night­
club in Watts and introduced him to Rich­
ard Pryor.
"It’s this funky club and here's this guy
on the stage and he starts talking and in
two minutes I knew I was in the presence
of a genius,” Stuart said of the comedian,
whose acerbic social satire was widely
known among blacks but had yet to cross
over to mainstream audiences.
“ I started talking to him,” Stuart re-
Bar-Kays perform at the Los Angeles Coliseum in this Aug. 20,1972, file
photo during a concert celebrating black pride. The PBS and Warner Bros.
DVD documentary “Wattstax“ relives the concert that took place seven years
after the urban upheaval in Watts that became known as the “black
Woodstock." (AP photo)
called, “and I said to him, ‘Say, what do
you think about women? about sex?’ or
’What do you think about the blues, or
gospel?’ Whatever. And he would wind
up with a half an hour off the top of his
head, out o f nowhere. And we used it. It
was marvelous.”
The film intersperses Pryor’s trenchant
musings on the realities o f life for blacks in
the 1970s with man-on-the-street inter­
views and footage o f the concert and
audience.
“What you're seeing in ‘Wattstax’ is the
survival of black people,” said actor Ted
Lange, who attended the concert and ap­
pears in the film as a 20-year-old unknown.
“It was a celebration o f black people
being black," added Lange, who played
bartender Isaac on A B C 's "The Love
Boat.” “Stax Records represented a closer
connection to the average man, while
Motown was trying to infiltrate the estab­
lishment. Stax was rejoicing in the differ­
ence in who we are, and that’s what you
see in the film,” he said.
"There was hope in that film and every­
thing that we aspired to be,” said Hayes,
who was grand marshal at the pre-concert
parade. "It was a great day and it went off
without incident. We didn’t realize how
huge it was unti 1 it was al 1 over and the film
was cut together and shown."
"P.O.V.” executivedirectorCaraMertes
said "W attstax" tells us so much about
black culture in the early ’70s.
“It's an election year, and a lot 6 f the
issues that were the reason that the
Wattstax concert happened are still is­
sues today,” she said. "Also it’s a fabu­
lous time capsule that takes us back to that
moment in 1972 before so much happened
in the ’80s and ’90s.”
While little has changed for the commu­
nity o f Watts, Lange thinks the hope o f the
’70s is still alive.
“What matters is people can change
things and with change comes hope,” he
said. “It was as true then as it is today. This
film deals with that reality.”
MM
County Enforces
New Income Tax
(AP) — Multnomah County is
pursuing residents who never filed
tax returns for a new local income
tax, hoping to enrich the county
coffer by as much as $ 12 million by
tracking down an estimated 58,000
households.
County officials have shipped
out the first batch of letters to people
suspected o f tax evasion.
The collection effort is crucial to
maintaining money for schools and
county services promised when
ous and dedicated as I am . The
m an w ho got her pregnant is
denying the baby but I will step
up to the plate and be the fam ily
m an she needs. Help. - T o n y
Foster; Buffalo, N.Y.
voters passed a three-year 1.25
percent tax hike last year.
The 58,000 households account
for one-fifth o f the county’s tax­
payers and owe an estimated $ 18
million for the 2003 tax year, offi­
cials say.
Dave Boyer, the county ’ s chief
financial officer estim ates the
county could collect about two-
thirds of that, bringing in an esti­
mated $ 12 million for schools and
county services.
Katz’ Health Improves
(AP) — The latest medical tests is gone.
show Portland’s M ayor Vera Katz
“The cancer is currently unde­
has no remnants o f cancer, follow­ tectable,” said Dr. Rebecca Orwoll,
ing a bout of chemotherapy this Katz’ oncologist with Northwest
June.
Cancer Specialists.
A recent scan showed that the
Katz, 71, has been undergoing
tumors, previously found in her treatm ent while still acting as
stomach, are no longer visible. It mayor. She will retire in January
confirms her gynecologists’ find­ after more than 30 years in Oregon
ings that the hard mass discovered politics, including three terms as
in Katz lower abdomen on June 10 Portland mayor.
Islam and
Politics
continued
from Front
one o f the most common miscon­
ceptions about Muslims.
“The concept of a holy war in
Islam primarily deals with war on
one’s self, war on our destructing,
immoral appetites, things that cause
problems for a human being.” he
said.
His shows also touch on similari­
ties between Islam and Christianity.
“One of the things we try to
focus on is promoting the similari­
ties through interfaith advocacy,
and try to promote interfaith dia­
logues,” he said.
Haamid also uses music as a
means of communication in his ra­
dio show, “The Essence o f Soul,”
also on KBOO, which airs every
other Friday from 7 to 9 p.m.
He says music is another tool he
uses in reaching African Ameri­
cans, his primary audience.
“ As a p ra c tic in g M uslim , I
have a re sp o n sib ility to m in is­
ter and prom ote the relig io n and
health y co m m u n ity life. T h a t’s
w hat I try to do w ith those p ro ­
g ram s," he said. “ Even the w ith
the m usic p ro g ra m , you have to
be re a listic if you w ant to reach
th e A fric a n - A m e r ic a n a u d i­
en ce, and m usic p lays a big part
in that. I d o n ’t speak fo r the
A fric an -A m erica n co m m u n ity ,
but I am a p art o f it."
p u rp o sely h ard c o re and slam
your responses too hard. True,
your advice is good but can you
at least be softer? - J o h n ; Bir­
m ingham , Ala.
Dear John:
Dear Tony:
Real People, Real Advice
bz nth ice culmini known fa r
its fearless approach la reality
based sahjeets!
Dear Deanna!
Stop being a Fool in Love and
realize y o u r girlfriend d o e sn ’t
w ant you, your com m itm ent or
y o u r fam ily values. It's co m ­
m endable y o u ’ll suffer the storm
with her but in the long run, the
dram a, deception and stress isn ’t
w orth it. G od has a pearl for you
but y o u 'll be too blind and broke
dow n to receive it if you stay in
the mess y o u 're in. You c a n ’t
force the relationship on her so
R eality and honesty is n ever
view ed as nice to people that are
used to lies, and being told w hat
they w ant to hear. W e live in a
hard cruel w orld th a t’s being
m ade w orse by sin, propaganda
and h alf truths. Therefore, you
will not find sugar coated replies
ju st for the sake o f a smile. Truth,
cutting-edge w isdom and reality
are here to stay. K eep reading
and rem em ber that soft mainly
applies to cotton balls, kittens
and new born babies.
pointed because I’ve been with
others and had experiences that
w ere 10 tim es better. I’m not
sure I w ant to stay in the m ar­
riage because I c a n ’t deal with
this. W hat do I do ? - M is h a
Tyler; Fort Hood, Texas
Dear Misha:
Be glad you m arried a man that
avoided sexual im m orality. Your
virgin elim inated your exposure
to A ID S , d ise a se s an d b aby
m om m a dram a. A pparently there
w ere things other than sex that
m ade you love him and accept
his hand in m arriage. If you were
sm art, y o u ’d realize y o u ’re the
teacher w ith a perm anent stu ­
dent w hose skills are going to get
b etter and im prove w ith each
le sso n .. .if you know w hat I mean.
M y girlfriend cheated, lied, stole
from me and got pregnant by you need to count her as a loss
another m an but I still love her and keep it m oving.
Dear Deanna!
and w ant to be with her. W hat
Dear Deanna!
I
m ade the m istake and m arried a Ask Deanna is written by Deanna
can I do to m ake her see my love
I’ve had it w ith your colum n. m an that was a virgin. E very­ M. Write Ask Deanna! Email:
and w ant to be with m e and do
You need to be m ore sensitive. thing in the relationship has al­ askdeannal @yahoo.com
or
the right things. T hese other men
People write you w ith their p ro b ­ w ays been wonderful until our write: Deanna M, P.O. Box 88847,
are using her and a re n ’t as seri­
lem s and it seem s like y o u ’re w ed d in g n ig h t. I w as d is a p ­ Los Angeles, CA 90009. Website:
iw n > . askdeanna. com
Telethon
Fights
Sickle Cell
.
A rea residents can jo in in the
An inherited blood disorder af­
fight against Sickle Cell A nem ia fecting primarily Afro-Americans,
disease by calling in your pledge but frequently Hispanic, Greek,
o f support during a Saturday, Maltese and Caucasian ethnicities
Sept. 25 telethon from 4 p.m. until also, Sickle Cell Anemia can be life
8 p.m. on M ultnom ah County threatening. It is a disease that it
Cable TV.
painful, disabling and often results
Come jo in us
for the release of the Dynamix CD
“Chillaxin’ on the MAX”
Dynam ix in concert
w ith DJ O.G. ONE
12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
on the Sabin CDC-TriMet Community Stage, NE Alberta & 22nd Ave.
Free Dynamix CDs and autographs following each performance.
7th Annual Albqrta Street Fair
A m ulticultural neighborhood celebration
Saturday, September 18th
1 1 a .m . t o 6 p .m .
NE A lb e rta St., fro m 1 1 th Ave. to 31 s t Ave.
"Chtllaxfn'on the MAX" is sponsored byTriMet and Sab.n Community Development Corporation and
o
C 5 we" 35 ? di° and ™ pub" c service announcements This " o je r t w a , designed
to provide youth w ith an opportunity to create a safety campaign for their peers while learninq 9
valuable media industry skill, in the process Many thanks to our project partners Dynamix Urban
aiTd All^dPVaughDnShea Entertainment' Port'and Community Media and students, Alberta Wash House
Brought to you by
t r im m e t
and
Sabin Community Development Corporation
in premature death.
Take back life by supporting
the telethon as funds are raised
to help find a cure and better
treatm ent. For inform ation about
being tested for the disease, call
503-249-1366.