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RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World | Independent Lens

Link Wray with guitar on purple background.
Courtesy of Bruce Steinberg, courtesy of LinkWray.com
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Independent Lens
Rock guitar legend Link Wray (Shawnee), one of the Native American musicians profiled in RUMBLE. Circa 1970s.

Mon., Jan. 21, 10pm on WKAR-HD 23.1 | Take an electrifying look at the Native American influence in popular music, despite attempts to ban, censor and erase Indian culture. 

As the film reveals, early pioneers of the blues such as Charley Patton had Native as well as African American roots, and one of the first and most influential jazz singers, Mildred Bailey, had a voice trained on Native American songs. As the folk rock era took hold in the ‘60s and ‘70s, Native Americans such as Robbie Robertson and Buffy Sainte-Marie helped to define its evolution, and Native guitarists and drummers like Link Wray, Jimi Hendrix, Jesse Ed Davis and Randy Castillo forever changed the trajectory of rock and roll. 

The film is directed by Catherine Bainbridge (Reel Injun), co-directed by Alfonso Maiorana, executive produced by legendary rock guitarist Stevie Salas (Apache) and Tim Johnson (Mohawk), and produced by Christina Fon, VP and Executive Producer of Rezolution Pictures.

RUMBLE brings the music and musicians to life using innovative re-creations, archival concert footage and interviews. Their stories are told by some of the music legends who knew them, played with them and were inspired by them, including George Clinton, Taj Mahal, Slash, Jackson Browne, Taboo (Shoshone/Mexican), Buddy Guy, Quincy Jones, Derek Trucks, Tony Bennett, Iggy Pop, Steven Tyler and Stevie Van Zandt. Also featured are Native American poet and activist John Trudell, rock critic David Fricke, director Martin Scorsese and many more.

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