Afrofuturism: Sun Ra. An Intergalactic Stimulus.

“Afrofuturism” describes a movement on various aspects in art and philosophy which allows a reappropriation of cultures, fashions and a reinvention of the own voice. Sun Ra was one of a multitude of musicians who utilized the movement and its inspiration on science fiction and alternate history to invent a novel identity. Most of his work was created with The Arkestra, an orchestra consisting of changing artists with the exception of a few.

A majority of his compositions feature disrupted arrangements and extraterrestrial sounds accompanied by poetic spoken lyrics which carry a specific message: that who identifies as Other will experience liberation through music. The term Other refers to African Americans – as he addresses slavery, the lack of equality and human rights – myths for whom he poses as a conductor, not only in front of the Arkestra but also for the chosen ones who decide to join him on his journey. The destination for the aforementioned journey is Space because Ra claimed to have visited Saturn briefly before he underwent metamorphosis. This journey both led him to desire a similar fate for his people and to create space-heavy music which ought to elicit a similar transformation within his audience. 

One such composition is “Calling Planet Earth” from 1971, in which off-key piano notes introduce a repetitive rhythmic melody accompanied by at least one saxophone and a synthesizer. The beat is motivational, audibly calling the listener to prepare for the lyrics containing the title and various echoing voices, until it reaches the final elevation through a synthesizer and whale-like saxophone notes accompanied by low claps. Ra kept a similar style for the instrumentals in “Astro Black” from 1972 with the addition of June Tyson’s vocalization for the lyrics. This song is an enhanced version of the calling in “Calling Planet Earth”, as Tyson declares, “The Universe is in my voice/The universe speaks through this song” to challenge the listener’s attention and urge the absorption of her words and the Arkestra. In my personal favorite “Return of the OVC” from 1978, Ra altered the original “Performance of Sun Ra and the OVC” and added his own voice to converse, “It’s been a long time/Since I’ve looked into your eyes/It’s been a long time/Since we played together/It seems just like a moment ago/When we shared the same space together”, possibly directing the Arkestra as much as his audience. Compared to his earlier works, this composition is more melodic and – as offensive as it may sound – mainstream, as it transmits the lyrics in a jazzier pop sound which was familiar to the decade. However, Ra retained his signature sound by including various saxophones within the Arkestra and himself at the synthesizer. In 1989, “Night Music” displays Ra playing both the piano and a keyboard with the Arkestra, performing in his preferred Egyptian attire, to convey that music is truth and it is time for a change of thinking and being. To me, it is the most avantgarde performance as can be seen on the stage, costumes and the choreography of the Arkestra, despite the missing light show in the background because Ra breaks into a regular jazz session mid-performance and lets the Arkestra sing before he joins. It is a representation of his “unique way to conduct”, as the host describes Ra’s talent.

Afrofuturism as a movement is a statement shaped by wounds and the decision to process history-inflicted trauma. Its effect inspired inspections of the self, abilities and possible growth paired with romanticizing an ideal future for generations to come. Sun Ra’s journey is also a mission to affect, like a domino, a birth of talent and versatility to reclaim Otherness as a form of extraordinariness, far from the accustomed pains and shame of the past. Considering music history, I would claim that Afrofuturism has had the most profound influence on creations to this day; not because it is the most recent genre but because it gives and takes transgressive occasion to experiment, explore and exist.