Latest news with #Afrofuturism
Washington Post
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Janelle Monáe hopes to ‘be a refuge' during her WorldPride show
As a child, Janelle Monáe had nightmares about two people: Grace Jones and Prince. 'I'll never forget it,' the singer says. 'Prince was chasing me in a purple suit, and Grace Jones was just laughing hysterically.' In time Monáe would become both a friend and an artistic heir to the two iconic musicians, each untethered by conventions of genre and gender and each capable of alchemizing androgyny and Afrofuturism into new forms. But it wasn't until adulthood that she understood the nightmare obscured a dream.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Marshall Allen reflects on his journey through jazz
At the golden age of 100, Marshall Allen is still on tour. He's promoting New Dawn, his first solo album with his name and was honored Saturday with the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Fellowship. Allen grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, listening to the sounds of Duke Ellington's jazz orchestra. The clarinet was the first instrument Allen learned to play. He then learned the saxophone, while serving in the Army band during World War II. "I'm going in like I'm going to be a hero. I'm going to do this and that, but when I got that reality of Army life, it was … it was different," he said. His sound is unique because he doesn't just play the written melody, he adds random notes at random times to reflect how the songs make him feel. "You just have to depend on the spirit of the song," Allen said. How Allen played and his reasons why changed in the late 1950s when he met Herman Poole Blount, known as Sun Ra. The composer and leader of "Sun Ra Arkestra" later welcomed Allen into his group, but not without criticism. "He said 'You sound good, had a tone and your disk and it sound good, but it's not what I want.' I said, 'Now what is it that you want?' He is saying … 'I want to hear what you don't know.'" Sun Ra's fascination with outer space and the true freedom it could offer inspired his cosmic blend of jazz, Afrofuturism and spiritual expression. He encouraged his artists to play from the heart and improvise when they "felt the spirit." For years, the group lived together in Philadelphia and practiced relentlessly. "Rehearsed day and night," Allen said. "I had to get my discipline together." When Sun Ra died in the early 1990s, Allen became the new leader. For the last 30 years he has been teaching musicians the art of playing what they don't know. Jazz music journey Allen said jazz music is just as important today as it was when he was starting out. The routine of preparing for a show and testing his instruments never seems to get old for Allen, who turns 101 next month, and recently performed in Brooklyn, New York. "I've been doing this so long," he said. "70, 80, 90 years." It's been time well spent doing what he loves, which is making people feel something. He said what keeps him going with jazz is, "the spirit of things and not knowing everything." As for the next generation of musicians, Allen said they "have to earn it." "If you want to play music, you have to get it," he said. "You have to be in a spirit. You have to play what you don't know." Kristi Noem says she's "very confident" undocumented migrants stole her purse Ashlie Crosson named 2025 National Teacher of the Year Supreme Court appears poised to side with student with disability in school discrimination case
CBS News
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Jazz legend Marshall Allen reflects on his music journey at 100 years old: "You just have to depend on the spirit of the song"
At the golden age of 100, Marshall Allen is still on tour. He's promoting New Dawn, his first solo album with his name and was honored Saturday with the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Fellowship. Allen grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, listening to the sounds of Duke Ellington's jazz orchestra. The clarinet was the first instrument Allen learned to play. He then learned the saxophone, while serving in the Army band during World War II. "I'm going in like I'm going to be a hero. I'm going to do this and that, but when I got that reality of Army life, it was … it was different," he said. His sound is unique because he doesn't just play the written melody, he adds random notes at random times to reflect how the songs make him feel. "You just have to depend on the spirit of the song," Allen said. How Allen played and his reasons why changed in the late 1950s when he met Herman Poole Blount, known as Sun Ra. The composer and leader of "Sun Ra Arkestra" later welcomed Allen into his group, but not without criticism. "He said 'You sound good, had a tone and your disk and it sound good, but it's not what I want.' I said, 'Now what is it that you want?' He is saying … 'I want to hear what you don't know.'" Sun Ra's fascination with outer space and the true freedom it could offer inspired his cosmic blend of jazz, Afrofuturism and spiritual expression. He encouraged his artists to play from the heart and improvise when they "felt the spirit." For years, the group lived together in Philadelphia and practiced relentlessly. "Rehearsed day and night," Allen said. "I had to get my discipline together." When Sun Ra died in the early 1990s, Allen became the new leader. For the last 30 years he has been teaching musicians the art of playing what they don't know. Jazz music journey Allen said jazz music is just as important today as it was when he was starting out. The routine of preparing for a show and testing his instruments never seems to get old for Allen, who turns 101 next month, and recently performed in Brooklyn, New York. "I've been doing this so long," he said. "70, 80, 90 years." It's been time well spent doing what he loves, which is making people feel something. He said what keeps him going with jazz is, "the spirit of things and not knowing everything." As for the next generation of musicians, Allen said they "have to earn it." "If you want to play music, you have to get it," he said. "You have to be in a spirit. You have to play what you don't know."
Malaysian Reserve
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Malaysian Reserve
Spate Media Launches SpateVerse Sound Lounge and Expands Its Hip Hop Animation Universe
New Animated Series Fuses Music Culture, Black Superheroes, and Short-Form Digital Storytelling Across TikTok and YouTube NEW YORK, April 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Spate Media, a fast-rising creative media company and digital storytelling innovator, announces the launch of its latest original series, SpateVerse Sound Lounge. The new hip hop animation blends headphone culture, Afrofuturism, and superhero energy — expanding Spate Media's growing SpateVerse, a vibrant urban animation universe spotlighting powerful Black characters. The SpateVerse Sound Lounge features music-driven short-form content built for platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels. At its core are characters like Jade 'Jet' Morrison, Shay the Producer, Keesha the Editor, and Jazmine the Legal Boss — all wearing headphones, symbolizing sonic focus, self-expression, and creativity. Each episode taps into the intersection of Black superheroes, urban storytelling, and digital culture, representing a unique spin on modern animation with deep ties to hip hop and real-life industry roles. Alongside the Sound Lounge, Spate Media is developing a slate of original content under its growing animation and digital content studio– Spate Concert Watch – A fast-paced show spotlighting the biggest hip hop and R&B tours, from Drake to Travis Scott.– Spate News in One Minute – Quick-hit updates on music, entertainment, and viral stories — optimized for mobile-first audiences.– Show Your Influence – Highlighting celebrities and everyday people using their platforms for real impact in their communities.– Spate Animation Studios – A rising indie animation studio focused on creating original IP rooted in music, culture, and empowerment.'We're building a movement that merges animation, music, and influence,' says Antoine King, Founder of Spate Media. 'The SpateVerse is where headphone culture meets heroism, and where urban creativity becomes the universe.'Looking ahead, Spate Media is also planning Spate University, a future-forward school dedicated to technology, business, and creative entrepreneurship. The long-term vision: empower the next generation of content creators and innovators through culturally relevant education. Explore the SpateVerse Movement Website: TikTok / Instagram: @SpateMagazine YouTube: SpatemediaNYC Business Inquiries & Licensing: antoine@ Media Contact:Antoine King(929) 376-9378393668@
The Guardian
19-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Idris Ackamoor Ankhestra, Rhodessa Jones, Danny Glover: Artistic Being review – powerful live set from the Afrofuturist and friends
Idris Ackamoor was a champion of Afrofuturism long before that term was coined; his 70s band the Pyramids combined funk and avant-garde jazz with Egyptian flavours and a keen awareness of Afro-American history. (Sun Ra is an obvious fellow traveller.) Since his re-emergence a decade back, Ackamoor has deliveredfour impressive albums for the Strut label, which is marking National Record Store Day with this recording of a 2024 San Francisco concert. It's a powerful, uncompromising work, combining an expanded big band, the Ankhestra, with spoken-word outings by Hollywood actor Danny Glover alongside fellow activist Rhodessa Jones. Opener Afro Futuristic Dreams is a call to arms, its massed chants shapeshifting into driving soul and a rich instrumental mix led by violin and flute. The group draw on hard bop and serpentine melodies on Tembeka and the jauntier Thank You God. The centrepiece is Glover's Grandma Cole Story, which turns the harrowing ordeals of a 10-year-old African girl aboard a slave ship into a a triumph of spirit via a blaze of Blakean imagery. China Lane Suite charts a cross-racial love affair, while In God's Country is Glover's tribute to his mother. Ackamoor's Prayer for Changing Times is self-explanatory, both demanding and joyous.
