Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat

Through a fast-paced montage of archival footage and music, Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat brilliantly exposes how Western powers attempted to use jazz as an imperialist tool. As African nations, many backed by socialist regimes, rose against European colonial powers in the 1960s, the U.S. and its allies intervened in unconventional ways: Jazz legends like Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone, and Dizzy Gillespie were sent to Africa as cultural ambassadors of the West. Behind the scenes, the CIA operated in the shadows, targeting leaders like Patrice Lumumba, the first Prime Minister of an independent Congo. A sprawling documentary that moves to a furious beat, Grimonprez dances through his thesis with an enthralling and thought-provoking energy. (BH)