You think making it in the music business is hard? Tell that to Charles Bradley. But you might want to watch a documentary on his rise to the top first.
The film Charles Bradley: Soul of America:, directed by Poull Brien and produced by Alexander Brough, follows Bradley through the life-changing release of his debut album, No Time for Dreaming. Throughout the film, Bradley relives his rough childhood in the housing projects of Brooklyn and his determination to be the artist he was born to be. The film will be featured at Bardot as part of the III Points Festival, a three-day event dedicated to art, music and technology.
"The film is definitely an art piece," says film producer Alexander Brough. But it's just one out of over 35 different events ranging from film screenings, lectures and live performances. The III Points Festival is making its debut, much like Bradley's album in the film, and is devoted to the arts, music and technology of Miami. And Soul of America caters to all three.
"The film encompasses a lot of what the festival is about," he adds. "Charles committed himself to becoming one of the most influential, independent artists of the year."
After being discovered in a local club in Brooklyn by Daptone Records co-founder Gabe Roth, Bradley was well on his way to stardom. Hey, he was only 62 years young. Up until then, the six decades of Bradley's life had encompassed homelessness, heartache and a ton of James Brown impersonations. But then, Bradley wrote and recorded the album that would eventually be considered one of the top 50 albums of 2011 by Rolling Stone.
The screening of Charles Bradley: Soul of America will be followed by a Q&A session with Producer Alex Brough and a tribute to James Brown performed by the band Aaron & Friends.
Charles Bradley: Soul of America screens Friday, October 4, at 6 p.m. at Bardot (3456 N Miami Ave, Miami) as part of the III Points Festival in Wynwood.
--Lourdes Dominguez
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