Acclaimed 'Rumble' documentary shares Indian influence in popular music

Tuesday, August 1, 2017  

A new documentary about the influence of Indian musicians in popular music is playing in theaters in the United States and Canada.

Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked The World takes its name from an iconic 1958 song performed by the late Link Wray, who was Shawnee. It also shares the stories of musicians like Robbie Robertson, the Mohawk guitar player who rose to fame with The Band, and Buffy Sainte-Marie, the Cree singer whose songs of protest, resistance and love have inspired generations.

"If you couldn’t name two Native American musicians at the beginning of the documentary, you’ll remember at least a half-dozen after the end. And it’s a good bet you’ll be searching for their albums, too," Robert Ito wrote in a glowing review for The New York Times.

Rumble has garnered acclaim elsewhere too. It received a special jury award at the Sundance film festival for “masterful storytelling," The Times reported. It also won two awards at the Hot Docs festival in Canada.

Read More on the Story:
An Encore for the Native Americans Who Shook Up Rock ’n’ Roll (The New York Times 7/31)
Review: ‘Rumble’ Gives Due to Unheralded Native American Pop Musicians (The New York Times 7/25)