Internets! Shit is DanceAfrica weekend at BAM.
Three(3) straight days of brutal Black beauty on display.
It’s all free to peruse so don’t lose and make your move to the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Bear in mind that I shot the footage in this video clip at the BAM DAnceAfrica festival. Hells CHEA
Talkin’ ‘Bout You (Ladies) from dallas penn on Vimeo.
Hit up this e-mail to get VIP access to the Roots Picnic in Philly afterparty next Saturday 06.04.11.
heinekengreenroom@215mag.com
REST IN POETRY GIL SCOTT-HERON
THANK GOD 4 GIL SCOTT-HERON…
I caught this video series over at M-Spekt’s website. I was so blown away that I almost got some dust in my eyes. GIL SCOTT-HERON has been one of my heroes for such a long time and to learn that he was also inspired by JOHN COLTRANE and LANGSTON HUGHES was such a shot in my arm this weekend.
We sometimes don’t think to make the connections to the artists as activists because of how commercialization has watered down so many of the messages. Let it be known that GIL SCOTT-HERON chose to be a prophet over making a profit from his creative talent. He was so far ahead of everyone else because he was so human.
GIL SCOTT-HERON reminds me of my father because of the truth to power that he is unafraid to speak. He was right out in the front of dissension when the government sought to silence the people that protested the war in southeast Asia and the war on the poor here stateside. GIL SCOTT-HERON paid the price 10x over with his own battle with addiction.
I don’t find myself in a temple or church too much nowadays but I find different ways to thank GOD for gifting me these breaths. Before you go out today watch some of these video clips and become truly amazed for the man that GIL SCOTT-HERON is and maybe even find the challenge through his words to become the person that you want to be.
On a quasi-related note to the Marvel Studios takeover was the controversy generated when it was revealed that Idris Elba was cast in the movie as a Norse god. I wonder why couldn’t there be an African presence in this mythology since the Phoenicians were some of the world’s greatest sailors and certainly had made contact with Scandinavians and other northern Europeans? Anyhoo, white was upset to say the least. First Obama, then this…
Combat Jack showed me an early iteration of the cover with the headline ‘Idris Elba: The Black Man Is God’. I loved that headline but Combat Jack informed me that if The Source were to run that cover it might also be their last issue since advertisers would get the fux outta Dodge. Still and all the cover is pretty powerful, especially considering that Elba’s role in the film was just that of a cosmic doorman.
Marvel Studios set us up with the Thor movie. I’m not mad at them either but I just want to acknowledge that I see what they are up to. In the next few summers Marvel is going to make it impossible for DC Comics to breathe on the silver screen. Even Batman will have a tough way to move to surpass the characters and storylines that Marvel is releasing.
The Marvel Studios takeover started with Iron Man. The glimpses into the Marvel Universe during that movie were too subtle to describe but the true fanboys overstood what was coming down the pike. Captain America and the Avengers were sealed in cement. The Thor movie was simply an Avengers setup. The real Avengers movie starts in July with Captain America.