BONUS: Soundtrack to a Coup d'État (crossover episode w/ Wise the Dome TV)

In this crossover episode with Rakeem Shabazz of Wise the Dome TV, Cold War Cinema co-host Anthony Ballas discusses the recent documentary Soundtrack to a Coup d'État (dir. Johan Grimonprez 2024). The documentary explores the weaponization of jazz music during the Cold War, the contradictions of using Black art to mask American imperialism, and the legacy of artists like Louis Armstrong, Max Roach, and Nina Simone. Ballas breaks down how the film links Cold War coups and cultural propaganda to present-day resource extraction in the Congo, and why the documentary's archival style is itself a radical political act. Ballas also discusses his recent piece on the film (co-authored with Gerald Horne), "Antidote to Soft Power: Johan Grimonprez's Soundtrack to a Coup d'État" for Scalawag Magazine.  Please subscribe to the podcast, and don't forget to leave a review! Also, make sure you check out and subscribe to Wise the Dome TV. _____________________ Logo by Jason Christian  Theme music by DYAD (Charles Ballas and Jeremy Averitt).  Please drop us a line anytime at [email protected]. Happy listening!