Featured Exhibit
An unopened copy of the motion picture soundtrack from When We Were Kings, a documentary about the Rumble in the Jungle and the events surrounding it.
Donated by Butch Zurbriggen in 2023.
Zaire 74: An International Music Festival
While the fight was postponed until October 30, the Zaire 74 music festival took place as originally planned, from September 22-24 at the Stade du 20 Mai stadium in Kinshasa, Zaire. Around the opening of the festival, the tickets were too expensive for most Zairians to attend the festival, so the stadium was mostly empty.
Ali and Foreman were reported to have stated they would not fight unless the stadium was opened for free. While Ali and Foreman primarily expressed great distaste for one another during the time, this was a moment where they set aside their grievances and expressed humility and kindness together. After successfully achieving this, the stadium was flooded with 60,000 fans.
Zaire 74 boasted performances from African, Caribbean, and African American musicians, emphasizing a Pan-African philosophy. To open the ceremony, Zairian musicians opened with a piece dedicated to President Mobutu, a common trend of the festival with many other African musicians praising him. This praise song was followed by the American soul and funk group, The Spinners.
Other key performers included James Brown, Bill Withers, B.B. King, the T.P.O.K. Jazz Orchestra, the Fania All Stars with Johnny Pacheo and Celia Cruz, and Miriam Mabeka. Even though it was not the first Pan-African-centric music festival, Zaire 74 has become one of the most famous due to its relation to the Rumble in the Jungle and the iconic performances.
