Modern Griots Reviews: Summerstage – Femi Kuti + Sinkane

Every time I go to a park concert, I am reminded of why I dislike going to park concerts: 1) the scorching heat (I almost passed out from it) 2) the standing up for several hours 3) the rude people who either step in front of you while you are recording a performance or the […]

Blogging While Brown Recap

I learned a lot at my first Blogging While Brown conference, so I wanted to share some of what I learned and have done already: The opening keynote from Markus Robinson of Interactive One opened my eyes to several new ways to gather traffic and reach out to a large audience. Some of his advice […]

Modern Griots Reviews: Black Girls Code

Where was Black Girls Code when I was younger?! Event today, black women make up less than 3% of the STEM industries and other women of color is lower, less than 1%. Last Thursday, I attended the showing of the Black Girls Code short documentary and fundraising event. Already having taught over 1500 girls across […]

Art of This World: S. Ross Browne

Via Phenderson Djèlí Clark (a fellow Caribbean afrofuturist) Speculative Art- S. Ross Browne: Self Evident Truths Posted on April 23, 2013 “Our personal history is often rooted in the identity of our families and what the writers of history, often the usurpers, choose to depict as historical fact. I try to reveal the distinct possibilities of […]

Moving on the Wires: Black Girls Code in NYC +Afrikadaa/Afrofuturism +Afrofuturism 2070+Black Girls Are From the Future+Blogging While Brown…

*On Thursday in Brooklyn, Black Girls Code will have a free screening of their documentary with founder Kimberly Bryant. “The event will help support our expanded Summer of CODE 2013 and bring our mobile lab to 10 new cities and reach 2,000 more girls. In addition, we will discuss the development of New York City Chapter of […]

Otherworldy Videos: So Divine — Saidah Baba Talibah, Vodun, YC The Cynic

Saidah Baba Talibah – “High” Donate to her Pledge Music fund for her next album, RedBlack&Blue (“RedBlack&Blue is a journey into the multitude of emotions dealing with the three most important ladies of my life; my mother, my daughter and my sister under the mystical, magical and spiritual guidance of my totem animals; The Robin […]

Obeah Playlist

To end my Caribbean focus for the past few weeks and to show support for the re-premiere of the Canada show Obeah Opera (hopefully one day it will go international), here is an Obeah playlist. Enjoy! Exuma – “Obeah Man” Nina Simone – “Obeah Woman” “Scratch” Lee Perry – “Obeah Room” Mighty Shadow – “Obeah” […]

Art of This World: Tam Joseph

Shout out to all my Dominicans out there (not The Dominican Republic, but Dominica)! Here is an artist from my father’s island, British-Dominican Tam Joseph, who is best known for his 1982 “Spirit of the Carnival (The British forces of law and order in confrontation with an ancient African Spirit)” painting, which he talks about […]

The My-Stery: Revisiting The Mask as Technology

Several months ago, I wrote a post about the mask as technology, but after reading Louis Chude-Sokei’s essay about PT Barnum and Joice Heth, I want to think further about saying that the mask is technology, specifically in reference to German producer Frank Farian and the groups Boney M and Milli Vanilli. Most people know […]

Modern Griots: The Mighty Shadow’s Musical Jumbie

For an afrofuturist artist in jazz, you may think of Sun Ra, in funk, Parliament Funakdelic, and in reggae/dub, “Scratch” Lee Perry. But for calypso, it is probably singer The Mighty Shadow, or Shadow. Born Winston Anthony Bailey and originally from Trinidad and Tobago, Shadow is known for his 1974 mythic song “Bassman,” about a […]