If you're a digging-in-the-crates, respect-your-elders, do-your-research music lover, then you've probably heard of the Zaire '74 Festival, during which some of the era's most accomplished and renowned soul, salsa, blues, funk, and Afro-pop musicians performed alongside the hottest acts in Africa, staging a dynamic three-day concert in Kinshasa, Zaire. James Brown, Celia Cruz, Bill Withers, and B.B. King were among those headlining the event. To many, the concert was profoundly symbolic — it demonstrated how music can bring about unity within the entire African diaspora, and it stood as black music's answer to Woodstock. The mythology surrounding the 'Zaire 74 festival has lived on for over 35 years and, next month, documentary filmmaker Jeffrey Levy-Hint will be sharing the magic with audiences through the DVD release of his documentary, Soul Power, which incorporates archival footage from the historic event.
Just weeks before the DVD release of Soul Power (which ships on February 6th), Miss Wit has unveiled her unique line of film-centered apparel, which features the original, official "Zaire '74" artwork created exclusively for the festival. In fact, when you check out the Soul Power documentary, you're bound to see performers and band member sporting T-shirts emblazoned with the 'Zaire 74 design. I love the vintage t-shirt pictured above, which features the classic Zaire '74 artwork along the front and the Soul Power logo along the back. The tee fabric was treated to give it a weathered, vintage look, with distressed details along the seams. An organic cotton version, manufactured using wind-powered energy sources, is also available, along with an embroidered cap, and value packages including a shirt and the Soul Power DVD itself.
Let your soul glow, chicas!
Miss Wit's Zaire '74 Soul Power The Vintage Tee, $38. Visit MissWit.net
