Le sonyr ra born herman poole blount, may 22, 1914 may 30, 1993, better known as sun ra, was an american jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, and poet known for his experimental music, cosmic philosophy, prolific output, and theatrical performances. In particular, i want to concentrate on afrofuturism the connection of the afrodiasporic races and science fiction. Early voices in the afrofuturistic space include fiction writers samuel delany and octavia butler as well as musicians sun ra and george clinton. Over the years, they would pile up to become a kind of users manual for his. Afrofuturism seems especially visible right nowand relevant as we muddle through the notsoutopian realities of our socalled postracial era. The black arts movement and the esoteric afrofuturism of. Paul youngquist explores and assesses sun ras wideranging creative outputmusic, public preaching, graphic design, film and stage performance, and poetryand. The fifth season is essential reading for every fantasy reader, and particularly those exploring essential works that exist at the intersection of afrofuturism and the fantasy genre. George clinton, sun ra and the scifi funk of afrofuturism. Feb 27, 2018 afrofuturism has been a part of black culture for years, especially in the music industry. Sun ra was born this day, may 22, 1914, a date which wasnt known until the mid1990s when author john szwed dug it up for his excellent book, space is the place. Binti by nnedi okorafor, home by nnedi okorafor, the night masquerade by nnedi okorafor, who fears death by nnedi okorafor.
Jan 01, 20 a good introduction to the history of afrofuturism in everything from music to art to movies and literature. Described as the father of afrofuturism, sun ra created space music as a means of building a. Jemisin to the musical cosmos of sun ra, george clinton, and the black eyed peas will. Afrofuturism is an emergent literary and cultural aesthetic that combines elements of science fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, afrocentricity, and magic realism with nonwestern cosmologies in order to critique not only the presentday dilemmas of people of color, but also to revise, interrogate, and reexamine the historical events of the. The books concise and digestible chapters, grouped together by approach. Afrofuturism is a cultural aesthetic, philosophy of science, and philosophy of history that explores the developing intersection of african diaspora culture with technology. Afrofuturism has been a part of black culture for years, especially in the music industry. It was coined by mark dery in 1993 and explored in the late 1990s through conversations led by alondra nelson.
He became a leader of afrofuturism, a cultural aesthetic and style that combines science fiction, fantasy, and afrocentrism to reimagine the african tradition. The often very unscientific science of sun ra can be seen as an effective afrofuturist strategy, especially if afrofuturism is defined as rollefson does. Sandra grayson, visions of the third millennium, 2002. Surveying the range of sun ra s extraordinary creativity, this book explores how the father of afrofuturism brought space music to a planet in need of transformation, supporting the. War ii and popular examples emerged in the works of jazz musician sun ra and artists of the black arts movement like ishmael reed or amiri baraka anderson and jennings 2014. How black women are reshaping afrofuturism opendemocracy. Womack is a filmmaker, futurist, and the author of post black. From the scifi literature of samuel delaney, octavia butler, and nk jemison to the musical cosmos of sun ra, george clinton, and the black eye peas will. Dec 16, 2015 the ideas and practices related to afrofuturism have existed for most of the 20th century, especially in the north american african diaspora community. The new york times named it a notable book for 2015. The question of an african american literary aesthetic has been debated since at least the innovations of the harlem renaissance, and the question became especially charged with the even more radical innovations made by the black arts movement.
Known on earth for his inventive music and extravagant stage shows, he pioneered freeform improvisation in an ensemble setting with the devoted band he called the arkestra. From the scifi literature of samuel delany, octavia butler, and nk jemisin to the musical cosmos of sun ra, george clinton, and the black eyed peas will. She is the creator of the rayla 2212 scifi multimedia series, the director of the awardwinning film the engagement, the producer and writer of love shorts, and the coeditor of beats rhymes and life. Afrofuturism transforms trauma, the erasure of the black past, and bleak prospects for the future into powerful displays of creative agency. The afrofuturist approach to music was first propounded by sun ra. African diaspora as they appropriate the figure of sun. This special issue addresses the intersection between african diasporic culture and technology through literature, poetry, science fiction and speculative fiction, music, visual art, and the internet and maintains that racial. Download free afrofuturism book in pdf and epub free download. A real book about a deeply elusive topicblack people and the possibility of what sun ra used to call the alter destiny. For some, like sun ra, afrofuturism though the term was not coined until after sun ra passed away is a form of escapism.
Comprising elements of the avantgarde, science fiction, cuttingedge hiphop, black comix, and graphic novels, afrofuturism spans both underground and mainstream pop culture. The book mentioned many books, movies and musical artists that i want to followup with. Popular afrofuturism books meet your next favorite book. Ytasha womack takes us on a quantum romp through the afromultiverse. Further considerations on afrofuturism eshun, kodwo. Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from wikipedia or other free sources online. Tonight on echoes, well delve into the more contemplative side of sun ra, on his centenary.
Theorists of afro futurism provide much of the interpretative analysis of sun. Herman poole blount sun ra was born and raised in alabama became involved in the jazz scene in chicago after world war ii. Known on earth for his inventive music and extravagant stage shows, he pioneered freeform improvisation in. While the movement may be traced back to the eclectic sun ra, the influence has trickled down to. Through playful engagement with the primitivist tropes of voodoo or black magic and their ironic juxtaposition to science fiction as a sort of white magic, afrofuturism strikes blows to. Afrofuturism on film, the sequel, which was to have run at bam through april 9, comes from a 1972 movie featuring sun ra, whose combination of. After mark dery coined the word afrofuturism in 1993, alondra nelson as a member of an online forum, along with other participants, began to explore the initial terrain and intellectual underpinnings of the concept noting that afrofuturism. Afrofuturismalso known as the black speculative arts movementexists in films, literature, comics, visual arts or music. Challenging mainstream technocultural assumptions of a raceless future, afrofuturism explores culturally distinct approaches to technology. Nnedi okorafor goodreads author shelved 102 times as afrofuturism avg rating 3. While the movement may be traced back to the eclectic sun ra. I typed in better world in the search bar of my pdf of the book and the expression can be found on a. New sounds blew through sun ras head, sounds that exceeded the size and. We hear mention of george clinton, bootsy collins, janelle monae, octavia butler, nnedi okorafor, sun ra and more.
When dery coined the term, it was already some 40 years after sun ra dazzled jazz audiences with. Afrofuturism is an emergent literary and cultural aesthetic that combines elements of science fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, afrocentricity, and magic realism with nonwestern cosmologies in order to critique not only the presentday dilemmas of people of color. From the scifi literature of samuel delany, octavia butler, and n. Afrofuturism download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. How a new generation is redefining african american identity and 2212. Deltron 3030, nalo hopkinson, walter mosley, and sun ra to list just a handful of writers and musicians, to be effective tools for teaching the history of the african diaspora in north america, linking theories of race, class, gender, and sexuality, and elucidating the relationship of african. Reynaldo anderson over the last decade, an embryonic movement examining the overlap between race, art, science and design has been stirring and growing beneath the surface. Afrofuturism addresses themes and concerns of the african diaspora through technoculture. Though there are many definitions of afrofuturism, they all have themes of reclamation, black liberation. Jazz beyond the singular instance of sun ra seldom enters into discussions of either afrofuturism or the contemporary omnigeneric black music so strongly connected with it.
Download afrofuturism or read online books in pdf, epub, tuebl, and mobi format. Ebook afrofuturism as pdf download portable document format. Missy elliott, janet jackson, tlc, and solange knowles have all been credited with exploring the movement, but one of its most famous contributors to the genre is the musician and poet sun ra. With a twofold aim to entertain and enlighten, afrofuturists strive to break down racial, ethnic, and all social limitations to empower and free individuals to be themselves. But as he made his way through his contact book he quickly found the problem wasnt having to twist peoples arms to get them on board.
Afrofuturism can apply to the study of philosophy, metaphysics, or religion. Scifi digital series afrofuturism sun ra part 1 dust. The literary realm of magic realism overlaps often with afrofuturist art and literature. Paul youngquist explores and assesses sun ra s wideranging creative output music, public preaching, graphic design, film and stage performance, and poetry and. Feb 14, 2018 a brief primer of afrofuturism, the artistic philosophy guiding marvels black panther from sun ra to jayz, ava duvernay, and beyond. Sun ra 19141993 one of the most important and bestknown representatives of afrofuturism is the avantgarde jazz musician herman blount, who reinvented himself as sun ra, an artistic figure. He became a leader of afrofuturism, a cultural aesthetic and style that. Opinion the afrofuturism behind black panther the new. Although the practices that form the black artistic matrix and practice of what we call afrofuturism can be traced back over 100 years.
Feb 27, 2018 how the afrofuturism behind black panther and get out combines social justice and scifi. Afrofuturism also known as the black speculative arts movementexists in films, literature, comics, visual arts or music. Afrofuturism is, in one aspect, a literary genre that includes speculative fiction imagining life and culture. Dec 12, 2016 such vanguard characters can trace their genesis to early champions of afrofuturism, paramount among them sun ra, the jazz composer, poet and philosopher who incorporated scifi themes into his. Watch a 5part animated primer on afrofuturism, the black sci. For much of his career, ra led the arkestra, an ensemble with an everchanging name and flexible. The world of black scifi and fantasy culture paperback october 1, 20. Despite afrofuturism being coined in 1993, scholars tend to agree that afrofuturistic music, art and text became more common and widespread in the late 1950s. Sun ra and the birth of afrofuturism offers a spirited introduction to the life and work of this legendary but underappreciated musician, composer, and poet. The ideas and practices related to afrofuturism have existed for most of the 20th century, especially in the north american african diaspora community. Afrofuturism is intersectional, and, at its heart, about representation and fighting erasure through a kind of cultural activism. He abandoned his birth name, taking the name sun ra from the egyptian god of the sun named ra. Known on earth for his inventive music and extravagant stage shows, he pioneered freeform improvisation in an ensemble setting with the devoted band he called the.
How the afrofuturism behind black panther and get out combines social justice and scifi. To these eyes, too much sun ra ephemera is never enough, and whitewallsuniversity of chicago press new pathways to unknown worlds. Described as the father of afrofuturism, sun ra created space music as a means of building a better future for american blacks here on earth. Paul youngquist explores and assesses sun ra s wideranging creative outputmusic, public preaching, graphic design, film and stage performance, and poetryand. In his book more brilliant than the sun, kodwo eshun gives a concise summary of. Afrofuturism also appears in art, visual studies, and performance. The term afrofuturism was first coined by writer mark dery in his influential 1994 essay black to the future, to provide a name for work which addresses black themes. Introduction this article deals with the connection of race and science fiction. The term afrofuturism was more of a retroactive naming. Sun ra and the birth of afrofuturism offers a spirited introduction to the life and work of. Dery coined the term afrofuturism to describe the work of artists who used the tools of science fiction to imagine possible futures. How the afrofuturism behind black panther and get out. Book on sun ra and afrofuturism now available jazztimes. This list of fantastic afrofuturism books to introduce you to the genre is sponsored by trazer.
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