Whitney Houston Film: Unseen South Africa Concert Footage

When you hear another Whitney Houston film is on the way, you’re probably thinking ‘not another biopic.’ We get it. 

But this Whitney Houston film won’t be just another biopic. This movie will focus on what we know and lover her for – the music. This Whitney Houston movie is a concert film that will allow fans to experience the greatness of Houston’s three concert performances in South Africa. The “Saving All My Love” singer graced the stages of Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town, for what is described as an unforgettable and historic moment in music history.

On that day, November 8, 1994, Houston became the first major Western recording artist to perform in the country post-apartheid – the segregation legislation that spanned decades and restricted where various racial groups would live, work, and receive proper education. A system that was repealed and later fully dismantled in 1994 – the same year Nelson Mandela became president and Houston embarked on this groundbreaking “celebration of freedom,” as described in the film synopsis.

Houston Historic Moments

Those who lived through the ’90s will remember Houston as one of the greatest vocal icons of the era. By 1994 she had already released two number one albums – the 1986 self-titled debut album ‘Whitney Houston’, followed by the 1987 ‘Whitney.’ The two albums shattered Guinness World Records and broke down barriers for female recording artists of the time, topping charts for weeks on end with songs like, “You Give Good Love,” “Saving All My Love for You,” “How Will I Know,” “Greatest Love of All,” “So Emotional,” “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” and the globally successful hit, “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.”

By 1990, she was back with her third album, ‘I’m Your Baby Tonight,’ deemed one of the best-selling female albums of all time, and included upbeat tracks like “My Name is Not Susan,” and the album’s lead single, “I’m Your Baby Tonight.”

In 1991, the then 27-year-old Houston performed a remarkable rendition of the Star Spangled Banner at Super Bowl XXV.

The soulful performance was so incredible, many still refer to it as the “best-ever,” while others simply try to replicate it. Recording artist, Brandy Norwood, who has often expressed her love and admiration for the late singer, paid tribute to the icon with her own rendition of the national anthem at the 2022 NFL NFC championship game.

The “Sitting Up in My Room” singer wore a white tracksuit reminiscent of Houston’s ’91 super bowl look. During an Entertainment Tonight interview promoting the release of the 1997 Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella  TV film on major streaming platforms, Norwood doted on Houston’s impact stating “she has changed my life forever and she’s gonna change so many others that never really got to see her in her prime.”

A true reflection of Houston in her prime came in 1992 with the release of The Bodyguard and its original soundtrack. The film truly cemented Houston as a vocal phenomenon. The album, which Buzzfeed noted still remains the best-selling soundtrack album in US history, was produced by Clive Davis and  reissued back in 2017 in honor of its 25th anniversary.

Though the soundtrack featured original songs from other recording artists like Lisa Stansfield and Kenny G, it was Houston’s cover of the 1973 Dolly Parton-written; David Foster-produced country song “I Will Always Love You,” that solidified the project as a Grammy-winning success that WE will always love.

The Parton cover was released as the soundtrack’s lead single and spent an astonishing 14 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and moved 3.1 million copies, according to Billboard. Even Parton was amazed by the beautiful rendition of her 1973 composition.

During an ET Online interview she recalled the moment she first heard the song while driving through Los Angeles.

“I was driving along and I had the radio on,” she told ET. “I had to pull over to the side, because I honestly thought I’d get in a wreck. It was the most overwhelming feeling.”

The single earned Houston the well-deserved Grammy recognition for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance while the single itself won the Record of the Year Grammy in March of 1994.

These astonishing accomplishments preceded Houston’s arrival to the newly liberated South Africa for this magical concert that was captured on film and is set to arrive in theaters this fall.

Whitney Houston Film: Unseen Footage

The Concert for a New South Africa (Durban) will screen in more than 900 theaters across 25 countries, including the setting for the footage – South Africa. Viewers will watch the impactful performances that melted the hearts of concert-goers as they experienced Houston belt out the classics that we all know and love. The film is expected to resonate with existing fans while exposing her signature and iconic vocal range to a new generation – 30 years later. The film hits theaters worldwide on October 23 and 27. Tickets are available at WhitneySouthAfrica.com.

As an added treat, a live album capturing the essence of the concert will be released on November 8, just in time to sync with the anniversary of the original performance, and will feature a previously unreleased track called “Love Is.”

Pat Houston, executor of  Houston’s estate, highlighted the significance of the film and live album, noting how they marked an important moment not just in Whitney’s career, but in history. It’s definitely a must-see for Urban AC Lovers. And for those of us who were never granted the opportunity to see the late great Whitney Houston perform. Thanks to this film, now we can.

Are you as excited as we are?