We all know that Atlanta has a rich musical history, however there have been periods
of time that have left a profound impact not only on this region but on the world. One
of those being from the mid-1990s through the mid-2000s when a cultural, musical,
and, for some, spiritual movement was born at the FunkJazz Kafe arts and music festival. Writer, director, producer, and the festival's creator Jason Orr
chronicles this important musical history in his film Diary of a Decade, which will
premiere Wednesday, July 13th at the Rialto Center for the Arts during the 2011 National Black
Arts Fest in Atlanta. From the rise of the FunkJazz Kafe, to exploring the definition
of soul music, and contending that there is a far-reaching conspiracy to silence it, Diary of a Decade is a story of an often overlooked era in Black music
and culture. However, what makes this story so significant is that it is told from a
multi-generational perspective with footage from as far back as 1995, capturing the voices of both the pioneers of this musical
movement and those who have kept it alive. Watch this super-sized trailer to see commentary and performances from artists such as Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Roy Ayers, N'Dea Davenport, Caron Wheeler, Speech, Eric Roberson, Van Hunt, Anthony David, and many more who graced the stages of the FunkJazz Kafe over the years and moved the movement.
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