Award-Winning Music Doc – “FunkJazz Kafé: Diary Of A Decade” Returns To ATL on Thursday

Naturally, when the word got out that The Funkjazz Kafe mastermind Jason Orr had produced The FunkJazz Kafé: Diary Of A Decade music documentary, many people just couldn’t wait to see it! I was one of them. Finally the day arrived when the highly anticipated documentary made its debut at the Rialto Center for the Performing Arts during the 2011 National Black Arts Festival.

I scanned the room and saw some of the important crew that had worked the events with unfailing devotion. There in full effect were also many artists and arts patrons who had intimately known the multi-faceted arts and music festival that linked fashion, virtual and visual arts, food, wellness, dance, spoken word, new media, bazaar vending and interactive suites with the main ingredient: MUSIC! 

Now fresh off a SOLD OUT New York City debut, FunkJazz Kafé: Diary Of A Decade returns to Atlanta on Thursday, April 4, 2013 at 7pm at Plaza Theatre. The new award-winning 118 minute version, which is narrated by Chuck D, has only been viewed outside of Atlanta. 

The movie captures the decade that The Funkjazz Kafe was a major defining catalyst of a cultural renaissance during which Atlanta firmly established itself as the South’s music capital. FJK captivated thousands with its unique unscripted environment of mixed-media installations, live video mixing, turntable DJs, live percussion interaction, live painting and a backdrop of innovative music. It was an imaginative environment come to life with stilt walkers, fire breathers, percussion ensembles, Capoiera Angola martial artists and many other artists, activists and musicians. 

The quarterly event attracted dynamic performers of modern soul, jazz, rock, hip hop and spoken word, including the likes of Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Akon, Public Enemy, Jamie Foxx, Outkast, India Arie, Talib Kweli, Meshell Ndegeocello, Common, Omar, Bilal, Loose Ends, Raphael Saadiq, Goodie Mob, Van Hunt, Doug E. Fresh, Dionne Farris, Caron Wheeler, MC Lyte, Vinx, Too Short, Bone Crusher, Joi, Speech, Janelle Monae, Wunmi, Cee-Lo, Donnie, Sleepy Brown, and George Howard.  FJK even had its own house band – The Chronicle, whose original members included Lil’ John Roberts, L-Roc, Phil Davis, Avery Johnson. DJ Kemit and other DJs interacted with the live band in a way that we’d never seen.

The location for Jason’s events remained exciting and ranged from places such as the historic Royal Peacock on Auburn Avenue, to filling multiple floors of downtown’s mammoth Tabernacle. Each time, no one knew exactly who the surprise performers would be. 

Regardless of all the good times that were had, FunkJazz Kafe’ never strayed from social responsibility. It benefited charities by discounting festival admission for food or clothing donations and in doing so, FunkJazz Kafé donated over 760,000 pounds of food to charitable organizations including The Atlanta Community Food Bank, Hosea Williams Feed the Hungry and Homeless, Atlanta Alliance for Developmental Disabilities, National Aids Education and Services for Minorities, Focus Hope (Detroit), Food and Friends (DC) and The Atlanta Women’s and Children’s Shelter.

The FunkJazz Kafé: Diary Of A Decade music documentary is an experience in and of itself which will be followed with a Q & A with Director Jason Orr and possibly with some persons seen in the film. This may be the last chance to see this documentary. After all, Jason Orr has other new ventures to cultivate -- like an annual FunkJazz Kafé Arts & Music Festival.