PAAP: The Poetics of Sun Ra - A Joyful Noise

Matri-Archi(tecture)

This MA Peeling Away at Patriarchy features outer world musician Sun Ra and his timeless introduction and teachings on Afro-futurism as a space that transcends conventions, which he did through his music. In honour of Sun Ra and in his own words, before we begin “The first thing to do is to consider time officially ended…” Sun Ra offered an escape for Black people in pain, all over the world. This escape was more than just a sonic distraction - it was a healing, an injection of vibrations from another realm to wake Black people up to their true fates. Sun Ra is the seed that said it could, and sprouted into the ever-growing philosophy that is Afro-Futurism. Although most view this as a future of high-tech infrastructure and science spearheaded by Black people, the politics of it are often painted over with a single stroke idea of “Community and khumbaya”. However, if we were to truly transcend the oppressive matrix created by this world, an Afro-Futuristc reality would be free of these limitations and oppressions. Some say this is impossible, but this very same impossibility is the work of Ra, the work he wanted all of us humans to engage in. Sun Ra believed the way into this impossibility was through words… This episode is narrated by Khensani de Klerk and written by Lehlohonolo Ndlovu; originally published as an article on March 11th 2018.