21st Century Maroon Colony

Kehinde Wiley x Puma x Africa’s 1st World Cup

M.J. — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:27:28 +0000

“We Can All Do Something”

M.J. — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 19:34:10 +0000

Afrikan Boy – Lagos Town

M.J. — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:34:16 +0000

See how many 21MC pieces you can count in it!

Brother Fayard Nicholas

brother sundance — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:32:31 +0000

Happy Birthday, Fayard Nicholas – October 20, 1914 – January 24, 2006

Fayard Nicholas was an African-American dancer, choreographer, and actor. He and his brother, Harold, made up the dance team known as “The Nicholas Brothers“. He was truly a national treasure. Absolutely astounding and sweet as pie. His dance career spanned more than six decades, and according to the “Who’s Who in Hollywood”, the Nicholas Brothers are “…certainly the greatest dance team to ever work in the movies.”

Watching this video is the best thing you could do for yourself today. Fayard recalls a particular dance number he did with his younger brother alongside Cab Calloway and his band. I dare you to not smile ear to ear.

Happy Birthday, Brother Fayard.

Women Are Heroes

Brew — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 01:50:51 +0000

For all of the Parisian Maroons, there’s an amazing exhibition going on in Paris right now…Women Are Heroes by French photographer JR. The exhibition features portraits of over 70 women that JR encountered in the shantytowns, favelas and villages of Kenya, Brazil, Cambodia, and India. These women are the faces of struggle, stability, violence, poverty and strength, holding together their families, communities and the world through their grace and resilience. JR shows these women, with their lives carved into faces and their struggle worn on the backs, in the light that women should be seen in — the foundation and pillars of society. The works are pasted all over the city — on the walls, on the the bridges, on bricks and houses — the society’s foundation etched in the foundations of the city.

Women Are Heroes on the Ile Saint Louis in Paris

I heard that the best view of the installations is from a boat ride around the city. And be sure to stop by he Pavillon de l’Arsenal where JR has reconstructed the oldest house in the oldest favela in the world (the house was dismantled and brought from Rio de Janeiro).

Women in Brazil

There are also photos taken in the various countries, where the women’s portraits were installed in the center of the cities that they support.

Women in Kenya

For those of us not in Paris, see more pictures from Women Are Heroes here.

French Vogue does Black Face?

Brew — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:56:04 +0000

Lara Stone in blackface. Photos by Steven Klein

Lara Stone in this month's French Vogue

Standing testament

¥ego $.V. — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 02:32:04 +0000

Contemporary Antillean sculpture, killing it under the radar as usual.

Felabration!!!

Brew — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:51:09 +0000

In honor of the relaunch of Fela Kuti’s catalogue, beginning Oct. 27th, and the Broadway debut of Fela!, on Oct. 19th, Giant Step is throwing a bunch of events to celebrate all things Fela. If you have a chance to get to one, it should definitely be a dope experience. Dates and locales after the jump!!

10/15 – NEW YORK CITY (DOWNTOWN)
Jump’n’Funk, Libation, FELA! & S.O.B.’s present: Felabration! w/ DJ’s Rich Medina & Ian Friday @ S.O.B.’s

10/15 – LOS ANGELES
Afro Funke’ presents: Felabration! w/ DJ Nu-Mark, Amon (on percussion), resident DJs Jeremy Sole & Glenn Red, host Rocky Dawuni + special guests @ Zanzibar

10/15 – SEATTLE
SunTzu & Giant Step present: Blueprint / Felabration! w/ SunTzu Sound DJs, special guest Ohmega Watts, & more @ Grey Gallery & Lounge

10/15 – MEXICO (Playa Del Carmen)
Uhuru Afrika presents: Fela Lives! w/ DJs Adam Gibbons, Sabine, & more @ Mi Casa Es Su Casa Holiday

10/15 – PHILADELPHIA
Flygirrl presents: Candyland / Felabration Tribute w/ DJ Mike Nyce @ The Arts Garage

10/16 – LOS ANGELES
Footlong Development & Frolab present: Jump’n’Funk w/ DJ Rich Medina + opening set by DJ Marvski @ Tantra

10/16 – CHICAGO
Listen:Up presents Felabration! w/ DJ Ron Trent & DJ Spinna @ The Shrine

10/17 – SAN FRANCISCO
Giant Step presents: Jump’n’Funk w/ DJ Rich Medina @ 330 Ritch

10/17 – WASHINGTON, D.C.
ESL & Giant Step present: Felabration! w/ DJ Day & live performance by The Donvonte McCoy Sextet feat. Mavis Water @ ESL

10/17 – DENVER
Afroblu presents: Felabration! w/ DJ Santos, resident DJs RJ Duran & CES, and special guests @ The Union

10/24 – BOSTON
Uhuru Afrika presents: Fela Lives! w/ DJ’s: Adam Gibbons, Max Pela, KC Hallett aka KCiv, percussion by Sidy Maiga, & special performance by WUNMI @ All Asia Bar

10/24 – ATLANTA
Spread Love, Jump’n’Funk, & Hot Ice present Felabration! w/ Roy Ayers, Rich Medina, DJ Kemit, Mausiki Scales & Common Ground Collective, DJ Ausar @ 595 North

10/31 – NEW YORK CITY (HARLEM)
Uhuru Afrika + Soul Funktion present: Fela Lives! w/ DJs: Adam Gibbons, Offbeat, DJ OBah, live percussion by Sidy Maiga, and live performance by Amayo’s Fu-Arkestra @ The Shrine

For more info click here.

Salton Sea: The End is Nigh.

brother sundance — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 08:49:28 +0000

If you’ve ever wondered what the world would be like at the end of our civilization, you really needn’t go farther than the Salton Sea.

In 1905, the levees for a project to divert the Colorado River burst, spilling trillions of gallons of water into a prehistoric lake bed. By the time they plugged the leak, the Salton Sea covered 400 square miles. Things were looking up in the 1950s, when fishing and boating attracted the makings of any decent resort town—retirees and celebrities—but several years of tropical storms washed away investment dollars. Now, since no new water is flowing in, the Sea is stagnant (and slowly evaporating), causing serious problems for its aquatic ecosystem. Chemical reactions turn the surface red and lime green, causing massive, odiferous fish die-offs, and sick fish poison the more than 400 species of birds that live here.

If you visit the Salton Sea now you’ll find abandoned homes, hotels, and businesses. Dead fish literally form a ring around the lake. For reason’s unbeknownst to me, August seems to be the month that kills the most fish. August 4th, 1999 over 7.6 million fish died. That’s nearly 8 million fish in a single day. An alarming number of birds die daily as well. At one point over 600 birds were perishing per day. Death is definitely in the air. The smell should make that obvious.

The sea has it’s residents at various points around it’s shores. Salton City held a little under a thousand in 2000 and about 350 or so in Bombay Beach. Though you won’t find many of them outdoors in the summer months. Temperatures regularly climb above 110°F.

All these numbers are just to convince you that Salton Sea is weird as hell. For my money, it’s definitely the strangest place this side of Chernobyl. So, what better place to film a post apocalyptic piece than here?

So today we ventured to the northern shore to take some test shots as well as scout a few locations for our dystopian piece. Next round I’ll be sure to take some more varied shots of this surreal landscape. This was just a primer. Enjoy.

Mr. Fried Chicken’s Press Shoot

M.J. — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:34:53 +0000

Loves it!

Ciao babe.