Black History Month: Films on Kanopy.com

Ball State students, staff and faculty have access to a streaming video service called "Kanopy."  (log in required from off campus)  This service includes independent films and documentaries about a variety of topics, including several about the music of African-Americans:

The Spirituals: American Spirituals, Music and Slavery
African-American slaves created a unique genre combining Christian religious sentiment with musical features inherited from their West African forebears.

The Joint is Jumpin': Jazz Musician Fats Waller

One of the early superstars of jazz piano, Fats Waller composed classics such as "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "'tain't Nobody's Business if I Do" in his short career. This film combines historic footage with interviews to portay a complex genius and his craft.

Strange Fruit: The Biography of a Song

Billie Holiday's haunting 1939 classic likens the victims of lynching to (strange) fruit hanging from a tree.

Wild Women Don't Have the Blues

Although the most famous early blues musicians were men, several women excelled in the genre. This film illustrates the lives of Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Ethel Waters, and other women who made a career in the "Devil's Music."

I am the Blues: Tracing Blues Music Roots

The Blues originated in the rural areas of Mississippi and Louisiana in the early 1900s.

Erroll Garner: No One Can Hear You Read

Pianist Erroll Garner was one of the virtuoso masters of jazz piano in the 1950s and 1960s. This film uses archival materials and interviews to tell the story of his life and contributions to jazz.

Imagine the Sound: Jazz in the 60's

Imagine the Sound brings together interviews and performances with the prime innovators of the once controversial free jazz movement of the 60s.

Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap

Living legends of the genre help tell the story of its origins and influence around the world.

Thug Immortal: Tupac Shakur

"Thug Immortal" is an intimate look at Tupac's life told through historical footage and interviews with his close friends.

Fela Kuti: Music is the Weapon

Filmed in Lagos at the peak of his career in 1982, this documentary contains interviews with Fela detailing his thoughts on politics, Pan-Africanism, music and religion. Kuti is considered by many to be the father of "Afrobeat," a synthesis of African and American musical elements.





To keep up with new releases on Kanopy, go to:
https://bsu.kanopystreaming.com/category/tags/new-kanopy-0