003 On the Art of Birthing a Nation with ShiShi Rose

Cleto Maréz has become Black Discourse’s resident sound essayist. After completing the first Sonic Dissertation we couldn’t help ourselves but invite him to curate a unique soundscape for the I SUPPORT BLACK WOMEN campaign. “Everything You Wear is Political: Fashion and Black Feminist Politic” is the second installation of a 3-part salon hosted by Trinice McNally. Focusing on Black people as the vanguards of all things activism, fashion, arts, and culture the salon interrogates the intersections of fashion, arts, culture, and activism from a Black feminist lens. 

Take a moment. And look at what you are wearing. How does it link to your politics? Does it? What does your political aesthetic align to?

Track List: 
Songs - 
1. BABY VAMP YU AWREADY SNOW PT. 2** [[[PROD. SGP]]]
2. CLETO MAREZ - HEALING 

Dialogue -
1 OMEGA RISING WOMEN OF RASTAFARI DOC (1988)
2 TELECIA KIRKLAND: REDEFINING HOW WE THINK ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FASHION & BLACK BRITON (CIAD) (2020)
3 FASHION CULTURE | STELLA JEAN IN CONVO WITH VALERIE STEELE (2021)
4 TELECIA KIRKLAND: EXPLORING COLOURISM AND RACISM IN FASHION (2019)
5 MICHELLE WALLACE IN BLACK IS BLACK AIN'T DOC (1995)
6 MARLON RIGGS & ANGELA DAVIS  IN BLACK IS BLACK AIN'T DOC (1995)
7 TELECIA KIRKLAND: REDEFINING HOW WE THINK ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FASHION & BLACK BRITON (CIAD) (2020)
8 OMEGA RISING WOMEN OF RASTAFARI DOC (1988)

Cleto X BD EYE SUPPORT BLACK WOMEN

Oyinda Yemi-Omowumi reading ‘I Hope You Know That You My Girl You Matter’ from her collection ‘I have survived myself & prevailed’. Available now on Amazon.

I Hope You Know That You My Girl You Matter

LordTusk: And the visuals are really strong as well...

Lord Tusk: Tell us about 777 Visions?

The Hear Her Here sound work honors For Freedom’s inaugural cohort of artists and the creative community they collectively built through the Hear Here Here initiative. It stars the five fine artists whose works live as murals throughout LA’s traditionally Black neighborhoods, and the fifteen Hear Hear Here emerging multi-disciplinary Black femme artists; weaving through themes of belonging, defiance, legacy, being and dreaming. 

The Black Discourse archivist team explored over 10+ hours of private Zoom conversation to produce a 5 chapter sonic collage. 

Produced in collaboration with DJ Kikelomo and Naj Whitehead

Hear Her Here Sonic Collage

To celebrate Concept 018: Virgil Abloh Securities, Nordstrom has partnered with Black Discourse to create a sonic artifact honoring Virgil Abloh’s legacy. This sonic collage is a woven tapestry of wisdom dropped by Virgil Abloh’s friends, on the ways that Virgil Abloh broke their minds.

In August 2022 NORDSTROM and BLACK DISCOURSE invited 200 members of the public to an intimate conversation in Nordstrom’s flagship NY store. Hosted by Jian Deleon, in conversation with Virgil’s friends and collaborators, Ev Bravado and Atiba Jefferson; the night welcomed guests to celebrate the genius of Virgil Abloh.

Capturing tender reflections shared by Bravado and Jefferson, along with additional contributions by long time friends and collaborators Acyde, Bafic and Ash Lauryn; VIRGIL ABLOH BROKE MY MIND bridges the overground with the underground, by weaving in guests of the event - demonstrating V’s lasting imprint left on us all.

Featuring original sound design and music by SHY ONE, Producer and DJ, VIRGIL ABLOH BROKE MY MIND shares the cheat codes, practices, and brilliance of artistic honesty that V embodied.

VIRGIL ABLOH BROKE MY MIND Sonic Collage

The Reclamation Project
Accra Dec. 2021
The Reclamation Project is a site based archival sound work and installation that investigates
preservation and design at the intersection of inheritance and stewardship- on the grounds
of the 1960s constructed tropical modern Scott House. This installation will show exclusively
at the Scott House for Architecture Is A Party and then live as an audio assemblage NFT
where all participants from the party and main interviewees will hold the legacy of this
conversation on the block chain.
The audio archive plays a continual loop of four voices: Sydney Quartey (grandson of Madam
Scott), Dominique Petit Frère (Scott House Project Lead), Mr. David (18 yr Gardener) and
Maxwell (2 year Security Guard) as they share personal narratives of their relationship with the
architectural masterpiece.
The wood paneling, slatted wings and multi-crossed ventilation of the Scott House take a
modernist design approach that appreciates, preserves and adapts to the tropical climate of
Accra. Intentionally designed methods of cooling, shade and escapism have offered a refuge
to the multi generational Scott family since ‘61. A replica of the home was built on the
grounds years later expanding the capacity of the design to house more people, hold more
dinners, and offer more space.
Like the home, the Scott Family has adapted to its environment, holding and preserving the
natural changes that come with familyhood. From the hands of Kenneth Scott, to the
maintenance of Madam Scott and now to the responsibility of the younger descendant; what
has been inherited expects preservation of the old in a rapidly changing Accra environment.
The Scott house has inadvertently created three archetypes: The Stewards, The Futurists and
The Madam. This archival installation weaves together these complicating narratives and
relationships to the house, prompting questions about lineage, change and legacy.
The Black Discourse Archivist Team
Koumbah Semega-Janneh + Zion Estrada

Materials
Audio loop recording
Printed material
Commissioned local wood bench
Scott House Garden cuttings

Many Thanks to
Kenneth Scott
Madam Scott
Dominique Petit- Frère
Syndey Quartey
Mr. David
Maxwell
The Scott Family

The Reclamation Project Sonic Collage

In October 2022, Intelligent Mischief and BLACK DISCOURSE launched the first in a series of global live streamed soundclashes in Memphis - to shine a disco ball light on the perpetual issues that Black migrants face around the world.

ARCHIPELAGO is a newly launched roaming Afrofuturist experience that celebrates African diasporic movement and migration, conceived by Intelligent Mischief. BLACK DISCOURSE was invited to curate a global sound clash to sonically unite the Black diaspora on one dance floor under no nation as part of a three day immersive experience.

The sound clash featured Memphis DJ collective Bodywerk (DJ Blingg, NicoTheGoddess, RMZI) live clashing with DJs in four countries: Peroli - Brasil, Sippin’ T - Jamaica, Aimée - Ghana and JANE - Australia.

The BLACK DISCOURSE team co-created a manifesto to weave each global DJ set together through a common narrative of interdependence, and autonomy. As each DJ battled for the champion set they were also blasting the ARCHIPELAGO manifesto of global unity.

The Afrofuturist experience continued over the next two days with a curated schedule of cultural activations in which guests were able to dream and play in an immersive space. The three-day experience invited guests to move through multiple rooms (portals) – immersed in image collages, projections and sonic disruptions – located in Memphis to a futuristic maroon society activated by Afro-diasporic dreaming and the unifying language of drums, bass and dance.

Parties have long been used as tools for organizing and activism within the Black community. ARCHIPELAGO is joining the long history of party activists by using the DJ booth as a political platform to speak out against imperialist border creation and the inhumane treatment of migrants.

Additionally, BLACK DISCOURSE and BODY WERK produced over three hours of visual media collaging found footage of African and diasporic dancers and trippy acid treated African landscapes, transmitting sonic and visual archives of the brilliance of Black movement. These visualizers played as a visual meditation for the party guests and the global streaming community. 

Intelligent Mischief chose Memphis to be the premiere location for the event because of its historic role in Black liberation history and sonic culture as the home of one of the first free Black communities in the South and the birthplace of the Blues, Soul and Rock & Roll. Black owned gallery, Tone Memphis - was an organic partner for this radical event.

The experience was supported by Race Forward and the Memphis premiere will serve as a proof of concept for an ongoing mobile Afro-futurist immersive experience and streaming radio channel with similarities to Boiler Room, Meow Wolf, and Artrechouse.

ARCHIPELAGO SOUNDCLASH MEMPHIS

In August 2022 NORDSTROM and BLACK DISCOURSE invited 200 members of the public to an intimate conversation in Nordstrom’s flagship NY store to celebrate the launch of Nordstrom Concept 018: Virgil Abloh Securities. 

Hosted by Jian Deleon in conversation with Virgil’s friends and collaborators, Ev Bravado and Atiba Jefferson, the night welcomed guests to honor the genius of Virgil Abloh.

'Virgil Abloh Broke My Mind' Panel: Ev Bravado, Atiba Jefferson & Jian DeLeon

ARCHIPELAGO Manifesto

Black Discourse sonic identity
produced by Cleto Marez

Cleto Marez BD Sound Ident

Commissioned for the month-long installation in the back of Supervsn Studios BLACK DISCOURSE created a sound work that explores the sonic identity of Los Angeles as the listener travels from East to West. In synch with a 30 minute hike through Kenneth Hahn, the piece invites listeners to find grounding in the non-human elements and learn how to tune out the noise.

CREDITS:
Field Recordings & Sonic Production by Zion Estrada


Supervsn Commercial Interjections
Sound Designer/Mixer: Christian Stropko @cstropko
Composer: Ollie Lewin @ollielewin

Brick By Brick Sound Work

Mel D. Cole, photojournalist and music photographer shares how he turned his passion for photographing Hip Hop artists with disposable cameras into a life-changing journey; to become one of the most influential political photographers in the US.

Special thanks to:
Mel D. Cole and his son and dog who popped in
Host: Acyde Odunlami
Editor: Zion Estrada
Graphic Designer: Stephanie Sophie Sleiman 
Web Designer: Tyler Hicks
Intro/Outro Music: Acyde Odunlami


Visit Blackdiscourse.co for more conversations.

001 On the Art of Black Objectivity in Photography with Mel D. Cole

Cleto Maréz is a heavy bass multi – genre experimental producer, sound architect and sonic-visual communicator from south London, UK. We asked him to respond to our 001 Edition’s Reality/Fantasy provocations so Cleto made us a ‘Sonic Dissertation on Black Reality’

Tracklist
1. Cleto Marez - Get That Money Sis 
2. Cleto Marez - Sleepless Nights 
3. Jean Luc Ponty - Don't Let the World Pass You By 
4. Slick Rick ft. Warren G - Behind Bars 
5. City Girls - Pussy Talk 
6. Navy Blue - 1491
7. Cleto Marez - Herstory 
8. Akai Solo - Nebula 
9. Sideshow - AGTWMH
8. Elhiest - No Delay 
9. Bizzy Bone - Pray on our Knees 
10. DJ Screw - What's Next 
11. Boris Gardiner - Every Nigger is a Star
12. Sonia Sanchez - Catch the Fire 
13. Youssou N'Dour - Badou
14. Gil Scott-Heron - Whitey on the Moon 
15. Boldy James ft. Vince Staples - Surf Turf 
16. Black Moon - Reality 



Dialogue Samples: 
1. Miya Ponsetto Interview w/ Gayle King (2021)
2. Amy Cooper Central Park Birdwatching Incident (2020)
3. Cornel West - Race Matters (2001)
4. Darcus Howe - BBC interview (2011)
5. White Woman Nigger - Unknown (2021)
6. David Starkey/ Question Time (2011)
8. Toni Morrison - The White Gaze (1998)

Cleto Marez, Sonic Dissertation on Black Reality

Virgil Abloh has an intimate conversation with Ade ‘Acyde’ Odunlami about finding lucidity in life and work, the limitations of labels, and his personal journey through culture. If you want to learn cheat codes listen to this episode.


Special thanks to:
Virgil and his discreet black-T
Host: Ade ‘Acyde’ Odunlami
Editor: Zion Estrada
Graphic Designer: Stephanie Sophie Sleiman 
Web Designer: Tyler Hicks
Intro/Outro Music : Ade ‘Acyde’ Odunlami

BlackDiscourse.co

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