celebrating art, music and the identity of the black community around the world

Table of Contents

AfroPunk Festival

celebrating art, music and the identity of the black community around the world

History

The term originated from the 2003 documentary Afro-Punk directed by James Spooner

In the early 21st century, Afro-punks made up a minority in the North American punk scene. Notable bands that can be linked to the Afro-punk community include: DeathPure HellBad BrainsSuicidal TendenciesDead KennedysFishboneWesley Willis FiascoSuffrajettThe TemplarsUnlocking the Truth and Rough Francis. In the United Kingdom, influential black musicians associated with the late 1970s punk scene included Poly Styrene of X-Ray SpexDon Letts and Basement 5. Afro-punk has become a movement, comparable to the early hip hop movement of the 1980s. The Afropunk Music Festival was founded in 2005 by James Spooner and Matthew Morgan.

“In their 15 years of existence, Afropunk has managed to curate an environment that can only be described as an ethereal, momentary hideaway for black people from all corners and crevices of the diaspora – and this year was no different. The festival explicitly invites folks to come and be who they are, wear whatever they wear, and dance how they dance. It was a blank space to freak out in – and freak out they did.” – GQStyle

“AFROPUNK became a radical act of self care – a realized demand of safe spaces for people of color.” – TeenVogue

“The musicians at AFROPUNK were there not just to sing and rap but to celebrate and give voice to communities of difference. That dual responsibility is exactly what separates AFROPUNK from other run-of-the-mill music festivals in America.” – Noisey

Festivals

AfroPunk has Festivals in 5 locations. The 2019 Brooklyn AfroPunk Festival took place on August 24 and 25. The Atlanta AfroPunk took place on October 12 and 13. There were also festivals in London, Paris, and Joburg in 2019. The line-up for the festivals varied depending on location but included artists like, Jill ScottAnderson PaakFKA TwigsLeon BridgesDanny BrownSminoTierra WhackHo99o9Earth GangKamasi WashingtonSantigoldFever 333Leikeli47Mahalia, and many more.

(From afropunk.com)

AFROPUNK IMPRESSIONS 01

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AFROPUNK IMPRESSIONS 02 – Mawana Afrobeat – AFRO PUNK – (Uhuru Africa ft. Coco Stone)

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