Orfeu Negro

Two weeks ago, I was studying Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo opera in my Antiquity to Baroque music history class and by coincidence the singer Imany released her song, “You Will Never Know,” whose video is a take on the 1959 Brazilian film, Orfeu Negro (Black Orpheus). For those who do not know, Orpheus was the Greek story […]

Zip Coon to VV Brown…

VV Brown feat. Chiddy Bang- Children Does this tune sound familiar? Hear ice cream trucks play it all the time? Well, this tune is actually over 150 years old. It was a well-known American folk song from the early 19th century. Originally popularized with blackface minstrel performers, the tune was associated with several songs — […]

Cosmic Slop

One of my favorite songs is Parliament Funkadelic’s Cosmic Slop. Just a few days ago, I found out about a collection of films called Cosmic Slop, which was produced by the group. Basically, this is the Afrofuturist version of the Twilight Zone. The first film is about what would happen if America was in shambles […]

I Am Thankful for Having Empathy…

On this Thanksgiving day, while we spend time together with family and friends, eat and be thankful for everything, I still want everyone to be knowledgeable of the myth of the origin of the holiday: For more information, check out Susan Bates’ website, Oyate post, Lies My Teacher Told Me book website, NPR story and countless […]

The Sound of the Machine…

Via analog-blog Lee “Scratch” Perry – Roast Fish, Collie Weed And Cornbread “I returned to music through machines. The difference is that the machines are clean, and the machines are not corrupted. What I create here cannot hurt people, but you can bring an impure musician to play in your studio and create your own […]

The Orixas

via Gira Gira Bambola “Orixas. I took a picture of these paintings in the market across the Elevador Lacerda in Salvador, Brazil. If anyone knows the name of the artist I would love to give him/her credit. What I love about the Orixas is the subversive nature of their presence in Latin American culture. Imagine […]

Yo Flo, I Have Some Words About Your Video…

For the past couple of years, I have gained an interest in studying Vodun and all the other religious systems that stemmed from it. So, I have become sensitive to portrayals of those religions (they are not cults), especially when they are put in binary to Christianity. I watched Florence and the Machine‘s video for […]

Negro (and say it with a Spanish accent!)

Negro: A Docu-Series about Latino Identity Created by Dash Harris, this docu-series explores Latino identity throughout the world and issues of racism, colorism and social consequences of a color complex throughout the community. This is the first part of the series and it focuses on the stereotypes of Latinos. If you have seen Henry Louis Gates’ […]

Black People and Comic Books? Part II

Via Arc Direct (posted 2 months ago) “During the next few weeks I will highlight some of the audio elements that make up weeksvILLe puMzI X, an afrofuturist/black speculation fiction themed sound collage. Each of the production’s sound elements was placed to create a sense of thematic significance. In the case of “Secret Wars, Pt. 2 & Superfly Meets […]

Black People and Comic Books?

I will admit I am a nerd, but unfortunately I was never greatly interested in comic books. However, lately, they are starting to catch my attention. Jonathan Gayles’ film, “White Scripts, Black Supermen,” examines the barriers placed on black superheroes and includes many interviews, such as with the late Dwayne McDuffie and Mark Anthony Neale. You […]