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500 years later

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500 Years Later ( a Halaqah Media production) is a independent documentary film directed by Owen 'Alik Shahadah. It won 4 international film festival awards in the category of Best Documentary, it has been heralded as one of the most powerful African and African-American documentaries of this century. 500 Years Later has received praise, controversy, both for the genre of the film (creative documentary), and the social-political impact of the film as it relates to race study. The film opened on February 28, 2005, at the Pan-African Awards (PAFF) and won Best Documentary at its premiere.

Contents

Summary

Crime, drugs, HIV/AIDS, poor education, inferiority complex, low expectation, poverty, corruption, poor health, and underdevelopment plagues people of African decent globally - Why? 500 years later from the onset of Slavery and subsequent Colonialism, Africans are still struggling for basic freedom-Why? Filmed in five continents, and over twenty countries, 500 Years Later engages the authentic retrospective voice, told from the African vantage-point of those whom history has sought to silence by examining the collective atrocities that uprooted Africans from their culture and homeland. 500 Years Later is a timeless compelling journey, infused with the spirit and music of liberation that chronicles the struggle of a people who have fought and continue to fight for the most essential human right - freedom.

Music: African Classical

This soundtrack offers a glimpse into the worlds and landscapes that make up the music of the African Diaspora. Here, we have a taste of the breadth of this rich cultural legacy that often has to exist within the limited confines of the genres defined and created by others outside of itself. But, it is only when we see this legacy in its entirety that we can begin to appreciate and understand its magnitude and see why it has been, and continues to be, one of the most influential forces within music and culture.

The musical journey of this soundtrack follows the narrative of the film and begins with the expansive and pensive music that chronicles and accompanies some of the most difficult passages of our history. The unique and evocative voice of Malian Griot, Kasse Mady Diabate, opens the vocal musical narrative accompanied by strings, after the dramatic ‘Maafa’ theme sets the intensive tone of the soundtrack. After traversing the African classical and European classical music worlds of the Kora (21 stringed Harp-lute) and string quintet, respectively, we arrive at the powerful song, ‘Emmerton’ by The Mighty Gabby, rooted in contemporary Caribbean folk music. The next two tracks, ‘How Dare I’ and ‘Storybook’ by the spoken word/vocalist Poppy Seed represents several important strands of African Diasporic culture notably, soul, funk and reggae. This is continued in ‘No Difference’, which also draws from influences of reggae and soul. Next we have a ballad from the extraordinary percussionist, Mamadi Kamara’s unique blend of African-Jazz followed by our second link and then a melancholic, intimate dirge by the spoken word artist, HKB FiNN. Following along the joyous acoustic thread of guitar of the West African guitarist, Abdul Tee-Jay, before shifting a gear, like the film, into a jazz-funk mode with the track, ‘In’ayah’ by Ocacia. The next link, drawn from the music of the spoken word artist Yussef, was a central theme throughout ‘500 Years Later’ and marked several of the chapters. The soundtrack then picks up again with a lively up-tempo track, ‘Ancient Rituals’ by Mamadi Kamara and his African-Jazz band. The album is then rounded off by contemporary tracks by Poppy Seed and Ocacia. Three of these Ocacia tracks, ‘Tear For The World’, ‘Like Water Running Off My Back’ (which features the writer of the film, M.K. Asante, Jr.) and “If I…” (featuring recording artist Maya Jobarteh) embody the fusion of powerful conscious lyrics wrapped in punchy melody lines carried by rhythmic undercurrents. The soundtrack completes its narrative arc, like the film, by returning to source, and revisits the unique epic sonic landscape of the Malian singer, Kasse Mady accompanied by strings.

Cast Note

A full cast from some of the best minds in the African American (and African) academic world. Maulana Karenga, Francia Cress Welsin, Paul Robeson, Jr, Andrew Muhammad, Kimani Nehusi, Hakim Adi, M.K. Asante,Jr., Molefi Kete Asante, Muahmmad Shareef, Ester Stanford, Nelson george, Bill Cosby(voice only), Amiri Baraka (somebody blew up America). This unique pan-African film is a first of its kind drawing on such a wide African academic group to discuss in a open way the legacy of slavery as it relates to African people globally.

Awards and nominations

Triva

See also

Footnotes

Disclaimer on Word Usage

(From DVD credit list and DVD sleeve) The term "Black" (capitalized), as used in this documentary, refers to the reactionary political term employed in the 1960's. We however do not accept it as a racial classification of the African family. African, is the legitimate label as it relates to the indigenous people of the African continent and those in the Diaspora. The race-nationality model, African-Caribbean, etc, more accurately describes our identity and fully articulates our historical and geo-political legacy. We also do not accept racist words such as tribe, Sub-Saharan Africa, or black Africa.

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