When We Were Kings

When We Were Kings directed by Leon Gast is a infotainment about the boxer Muhammad Ali and the culture of Afro-American throng. The music is utilise as maven of the ways to provide information for the audience about what is happening within the take on. The music helps the audience establish what it was like back in the 1970s. It also shows African-American singers and how they are proud of their heritage like BB King and James Brown. The music also functions as a symbol to get information across, for example The Succubus. The documentary songs relate to the theme of racial relationships and African-American identity. Setting The film is set in the 1970s within Zaire, Africa when Mobutu Sese Seko was in charge. It shows that the village life is very scummy and crowded as it was a 2nd world country because it was still developing. There were power struggles e. g. Belgian Congo and also Mobutu was ruthless as he killed 10% of the criminals in Zaire. Even though this was all(pr enominal) happening within the country the people of Africa were proud to be African.They showed this through the 3 day melodious festival, where they had there traditional singing and dancing. The film shows footages of the African children and women dancing to the beat of the drum in their traditional clothing. During the 1970s it was an insult to call African-American people African, but when Muhammad Ali came to Africa he saw how African people were proud of their heritage and that Africans and Americans shared similar loves for things like music.Ali then realised he should be blissful to be African and apart of this raise new way of life. The documentary depicts Ali to be the Hero in Zaire as he is seen as somebody standing up for the African people. Similarities between Africans and African-Americans African-American people were seen unequal to white people. Their social status was seen as unworthy and below the standards of white people. The melodic performances, from Jam es Browns screaming, soul singing and dancing, to B. B. Kings sweat, smooth strumming on the Lucille, inspired both the Africans and Americans who travelled there. The music united and influenced the people within Zaire to watch the fight between Muhammad Ali and George old-timer. Muhammad Ali started to realise that black and white people arent a lot different, they care and love similar things such as education and music, specifically, the drums. The drums provided a sense of communication and rhythm between the two different cultures.The drum was the oldest means that the Africans used and now the African-American singers like James Brown uses it in his songs. it in his songs. Miriam Makeba Mama Africa Throught-out the film Miriam Makeba (Mama Africa) is singing the song Am Am Pondo. This is used to symbolise Succubus. Succubus is a women who has sexual intercourse with men in their sleep, until the tire out. This symbol was used since this is how Ali won agaist political boss, as he let Foreman hit him until he became exhausted and then he striked with one punched and knocked him out.George Plimpton tells the story of the witch doctor who predicted that a women with trembling hands or a succuba in Zaire would take hold of George foreman and that he would not win the boxing match as the succubus will take all his strength and then bring Ali to victory. The filmmakers illustrate this by having Miriam Makeba perform the succubus. Everytime Foreman was shown on the documenty Miriam Makeba would be singing Am Am Pondo in the backgroud to indicate the Foreman does not belong in Africa and that he will get caught in Africas trap or being cursed by a womanish Succubus. African children and women dancing to the beat of the drum in their traditional clothing. During the 1970s it was an insult to call African-American people African, but when Muhammad Ali came to Africa he saw how African people were proud of their heritage and that Africans and Americans sha red similar loves for things like music. Ali then realised he should be glad to be African and apart of this exciting new way of life. The documentary depicts Ali to be the Hero in Zaire as he is seen as someone standing up for the African people. The film is he