Sunday’s film screening was a welcome addition to the venue’s lineup as Swensson would explain. In the five years since Prince’s passing, Paisley Park has played host to a variety of events and celebrations. “It was a little intimidating trying to put together questions that could match his depth, but I also wanted to give him space to share how he was feeling in that moment, showing his debut documentary in the same space where one of his biggest heroes made his music videos and films,” Swensson said. “Questlove’s deep well of knowledge about Black music history, and particularly the details of Prince’s recording career in the 1980s, is such an inspiration to me, as a fellow historian and researcher,” Swensson explained. She described the feeling of conversing with hip hop’s Renaissance Man during the event.

That’s one of the things that made him special.”įor Swensson, moderating the session for such a prominent figure meant tapping into Questlove’s vast knowledge of music and other historical moments. We were performing in front of a small audience of three, but Prince still gave his all. “What I remember most about my first visit was getting the chance to perform with Prince and D’Angelo. “This was before social media, so it was always interesting that Prince knew where to find us,” continued Questlove. “We were on the ‘Voodoo’ tour and had checked into our hotel when we received a message saying, ‘He wants to see you.’ Of course, that ‘he’ was Prince and suddenly we were summoned to Paisley Park. “I remember first visiting Paisley Park back in 2000, “Questlove recalled. Moderated by music journalist, author, writer, and host of the “Official Prince Podcast,” Andrea Swensson, Questlove spoke at length about Prince’s legacy, the significance of the film, and what he hopes to be its lasting impact.Ī noted historian, the Roots’ drummer also took time to recount his first visit to Paisley Park while on tour with D’Angelo. 19 at Paisley Park featured a 30-minute Q&A session with the film’s director and a Prince-themed DJ set for VIP attendees. The film screening and event on Sunday, Sept. Excitement was in the air as hundreds flocked to Paisley Park in Chanhassen for an intimate screening of the music documentary and film, “Summer of Soul.” Released theatrically and digitally on Hulu this past summer, the two-hour concert film is a historical time capsule into Black culture and soul during the late 1960s and features performances by an array of artists including Sly and the Family Stone, Nina Simone, the Staple Singers, and Stevie Wonder.ĭirected by musician, writer, and noted Prince enthusiast Amir “Questlove” Thompson, the film unearths footage from the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, which took place over the course of six days.

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