Imagine Documentary and Concord Originals have partnered on Paul Pueblo: Fania for the People, a feature-length documentary that explores the legacy of Fania Records and the Fania All Stars, who pioneered salsa in the United States. The record label is credited with inspiring a cultural movement that led to the global dominance of Latin music today.
Directed by Raquel Cepeda, the acclaimed filmmaker behind Showtime’s “La Madrina: The Life of Lorine Padilla” and VH1/MTV’s “Bling: A Planet Rock,” the film features new interviews with surviving members of the Fania All Stars and key figures in the Fania inner circle, as well as rare and previously unreleased archival material. Imagine Documentary, part of Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment, will lead production alongside Cepeda’s Resurgent Pictures, which she co-founded with the director’s late husband and creative partner Sasha Jenkins. The project continues Imagine’s creative partnership with Resurgent Pictures, following their previous collaboration on “Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues.”
This feature was produced by Sarah Bernstein, Meredith Colefers and Justin Wilkes for Imagine Documentary. By Sophia Dilley and Wesley Adams of Concord Originals. And Cepeda. Play/Action Pictures will co-finance the film, with Jeffrey Lurie and Marie-Thérèse Guirgis serving as executive producers. Other executive producers include Concord’s Bob Valentine and Bruce McIntosh, Imagine’s Glaser and Howard, and Double Agent’s Dana O’Keefe and Emily Selinger, with Selinger serving as co-executive producer. Development was funded by Concord Originals.
Through the meteoric rise of the Fania All Stars, the label elevated musical icons such as Johnny Pacheco, Willy Colon, Hector Laveau, Celia Cruz, Cheo Feliciano, Joe Bataan, and Rubén Blades. The filmmakers say the movement can “still be felt in contemporary music and popular culture, from global chart-topping songs like Cardi B’s ‘I Like It’ to moments like Bad Bunny’s epic Super Bowl halftime performance.” The documentary also coincides with the passing of Willie Colon, whose musical talents helped define Fania’s sound.
Under the Craft Latino banner, Concord is home to the Fania brand and its music catalog, which includes 25,000 recordings and copyrights.
“For decades, the music of the legendary Fania All Stars has been an integral part of the ancestral memory of Pan-Latinos around the world, and, along with hip-hop, has colored this Domini Yorker’s own life,” Cepeda said. “I have witnessed Fania being celebrated across the Americas, the Caribbean, and in countries from Austria to France, Japan to England, so transcendent that you don’t need to understand the lyrics to feel truth to power. Now is the ideal time to explore Fania’s complex social, political and cultural heritage, while also introducing new audiences and generations of music lovers to their timeless sound.”
“Now is the time to celebrate the enduring legacy of Fania’s musicians, whose music continues to resonate today and inspire artists. We are thrilled to partner with Raquel Cepeda and Concord Originals to present their unforgettable stories,” said Bernstein, president of Imagine Documentary.
“Fania’s influence goes far beyond its iconic music. It is the foundation of a cultural movement rooted in themes of identity and collective power that remain deeply relevant today. We are proud to partner with Raquel, Imagine, Play/Action, and Double Agent to champion this film and give this story the space it deserves,” said Adams, vice president of production at Concord Originals.
Imagine Documentary’s works include the Grammy Award-winning “Music by John Williams,” the Emmy Award-winning “Jim Henson Idea Man,” “Carlos,” about Carlos Santana, and “Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues,” “The Beatles: Eight Days a Week,” “Pavaraoti,” “Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything” and the recently released feature-length documentary about Whoopi Goldberg.
In the documentary field, Concord Originals released the Emmy-nominated and Peabody Award-winning Stax: Soulsville USA. This is a multi-part documentary about HBO’s legendary Stax Records from executive producer Ezra Edelman (OJ: Made in America) and director Jamila Wignot (Ailey). “Shari and Lambchop” directed by Lisa D’Apolito (“Love, Gilda”) was released theatrically by Kino Lorber. Paris Berkley’s documentary feature “Billy Preston: That’s the Way God Planned It” about Abramorama’s renowned musician Billy Preston. “Pretty Ugly: The Story of the Lunatics,” a musical documentary by Ilya Chaiken from Academy Award-nominated Giant Pictures executive producers Julie Cohen and Betsy West (“RBG”).
Cepeda is represented by Bianca Grimshaw of Granderson de Rocher.
