This joyful film will delight people of all ages. It shows how the spirit and soul of the West African people has been passed down, generation by generation, through the black marching band. As long as 700 years ago, the Yorubas had musical processions at funerals to celebrate the passage of the spirit into the next world. By the l7th century, African musicians were seen in Turkish marching bands and their skill was admired by the monarchs of Europe. In the United States, black fife and drum bands played during the revolutionary war to keep up the spirit of the troops.

In modern times, the tradition of the black marching band continues on the football fields of America. Dizzy Gillespie proudly introduces us to the skillfully orchestrated maneuvers of the Florida A&M Marching Band. He points out that this contemporary band is the direct fulfillment of an ageless ancestral idea. In New Orleans today, a jazz procession is an integral part of the funeral observance. No matter how rich or how poor, the deceased is celebrated with a grand and festive send off. Even the children have learned to use the music of their bodies and dance to the spirit within.

"Informative and entertaining. . . Highly recommended for schools to further awareness of African influences and achievements in the world."
–AFVA Evaluations

Director's Citation, Black Maria Film Festival, 1992
Denver Film Festival, 1992
Atlanta Image Festival, 1992
Blue Ribbon, American Film & Video Festival, 1991
CINE Gold Eagle, 1991
Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, 1991