Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World

Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World
Film poster
Directed byCatherine Bainbridge co-directed Alfonso Maiorana
Produced byStevie Salas
Tim Johnson
Catherine Bainbridge
Christina Fon
Linda Ludwick
Lisa M. Roth
Tim Johnson
CinematographyAlfonso Maiorana
Edited byJeremiah Hayes
Benjamin Duffield
Music byBenoît Charest
Production
company
Release date
  • 2017 (2017)
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked The World is a 2017 Canadian documentary film directed by Catherine Bainbridge and co-directed by Alfonso Maiorana. The film profiles the impact of Indigenous musicians in Canada and the US on the development of rock music.[1] Artists profiled include Charley Patton, Mildred Bailey, Link Wray, Jesse Ed Davis, Stevie Salas, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Robbie Robertson, Randy Castillo, Jimi Hendrix, Taboo and others. The title of the film is a reference to the pioneering instrumental "Rumble", released in 1958 by the American group Link Wray & His Ray Men. The instrumental piece was very influential on many artists.

The idea for the film came from Stevie Salas (Apache) and Tim Johnson (Mohawk), two of the film's executive producers. They created an exhibit for the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian about the indigenous influence on American music, titled “Up Where We Belong: Native Musicians in Popular Culture”.[2]

The film features many influential musicians who discuss the musical contributions of indigenous artists, including commentaries from Quincy Jones, George Clinton, Taj Mahal, Martin Scorsese, John Trudell, Steven Tyler, Marky Ramone, Slash, Iggy Pop, Buddy Guy, Steven Van Zandt, Taylor Hawkins, Robert Trujillo, and others.

The film premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.[3]

The film was released on home entertainment (DVD) on December 19, 2018 via Kino Lorber. It had its broadcast premiere on PBS as part of Independent Lens on January 21, 2019.[4]

  1. ^ Ito, Robert (July 31, 2017). "An Encore for the Native Americans Who Shook Up Rock 'n' Roll". The New York Times.
  2. ^ "Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World Opens at Landmark's e Street Cinema in Washington, DC on Friday, August 25". 18 August 2017.
  3. ^ "Sundance Film Review: ‘Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World’". Variety, January 23, 2017.
  4. ^ ""RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World" Available on DVD, PBS & PBS Streaming".