Rita Chiarelli is a Canadian multi-award winning blues singer. But recently her career path took an incredible and unexpected turn. She stars in Music from the Big House, a powerful documentary directed by Bruce McDonald (Hard Core Logo, Highway 61, Tracey Fragments, Pontypool).
The story begins with a musical quest. Chiarelli decided to take a sojourn along blues trail Highway 61, a legendary passage which runs from Northern Ontario’s Thunder Bay to Southern Louisiana’s New Orleans.
En route, Chiarelli saw a sign that said Angola Prison, aka Louisiana State Penitentiary, where American blues master Lead Belly was once incarcerated. Chiarelli had never heard of Angola Prison. She was intrigued by this historic maximum security facility, often referred to as the "Alcatraz of the South," and decided to do some research. The result was a life-changing experience, the spark that ignited Music from the Big House.
Johnny Cash, Folsom Prison Blues, Highway 61
The first thing that comes to mind is Johnny Cash and Folsom Prison Blues. But this film takes Johnny Cash’s idea to whole new level.
Rita Chiarelli: “It does indeed. Johnny, of course, performed for the inmates at Folsom prison, which was the original idea that I had for Angola. But then after communicating with the wardens and then going down there, I thought I should meet the musical inmates. When I heard them, I had that moment where I thought it was a way better idea to perform with them, which is something that I am told has not been done before.
"It was very exciting and the movie goes a step beyond the concert. The concert is fantastic. The music is great. The inmates open up and talk about their situation and so it really opens up your heart and mind and spirit to hear them speak and tell their stories.”
How long did this project take?
Rita Chiarelli: “It took me 10 years from the first time I went down. I was actually doing a tour of Highway 61, which I am sure most people know as the Blues Highway. It actually starts from Thunder Bay and believe it or not, goes all the way down to New Orleans.
“I was doing some research and I came across Angola Prison aka The Louisiana State Penitentiary, in Angola, Louisiana where Lead Belly and different blues people did time. At one time Angola even housed women."
Rita, I have to say that this takes some balls to do a project like this…
Rita Chiarelli: (laughing) Thank you very much. I appreciate that. I was really taken with the talent of these guys and I should say that our soundtrack was just released about two weeks ago and it is getting great airplay already and getting great reviews. If anyone is interested, the soundtrack is available on iTunes or on my website. Have a listen to a tune or two because we give you a little taste of the music in the film.”
How did film maverick Bruce McDonald get involved in this? He is known as the “cool rock and roll badass director” ...
Rita Chiarelli: (laughing again) “I came home and I said I want to do a documentary about Louisiana State Penitentiary with maximum security inmates. So who are you going to call, but Bruce McDonald.
“Bruce and I go back a ways. He asked if he could put one of my tunes in one of his first movies (1989 cult classic) Roadkill and so that’s where I met Bruce. He has kept in touch with me and my career and I have certainly kept in touch with his. He has done a lot of great stuff since Roadkill.
“I called him up and he was very gracious and returned my call. I said I have a project, Bruce. And I think that you are the only guy for this. I would like to talk to you about it. He said ‘come on down.’ We had a meeting and I told him everything that I had been working on at that time. I guess it had been about seven years, maybe eight.
He loved the idea. He said ‘I’m in.’ So of course, having Bruce McDonald’s name attached to the project made it little easier to get appointments with the production company - Cache Film and Television. It was just great from there.”
Cache also produced Hardwood, an Oscar-nominated documentary short about the estranged relationship between the film's director Hubert Davis and his father Harlem Globetrotter Mel Davis.
Rita Chiarelli: “Yes. Cache has done some great work. And it was such a thrill because of the way this connection to them came about. A friend of mine had an old business card, from one of (Cache’s) producers which had her home number on it. That would be hard to get now. I called the producer at her home, gave her Bruce McDonald’s name and that was it.”
Rita Chiarelli will be at The Princess Cinemas in Waterloo, Ontario in support of Music from the Big House. After the film Rita Chiarelli and Papa John King will perform a live concert. It is all part of Canada Film Days running May 5 to May 11, 2011.
Coral Andrews - Coral Andrews is an independent media professional who has been writing in Canada for over 30 years.
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