Warrior Ecologies: Black Fighting Formations
Curated by Ryanaustin Dennis with performances by Black Fighting Formations: Jeremy DiCristo,
Marshall Trammell, and Mogauwane Mahloele
Soundwave Bienniel in partnership with EastSide Arts Alliance: Live Arts in Resistance presents Black Fighting Formations (BFF): Sonic Narratives of Performing-Political Education. Inspired by narratives of fugitivity from the Underground Railroad, Black Fighting Formations (BFF) brings to the stage music performances of political education drawn from Black, grassroots organizing and African percussive sensibilities in time and resistance. In one performance, Oakland’s Black Organizing Projects’ campaign strategy is translated into a new language for Creative Music performance; In another BFF, reimagines anti-oppression codes of solidarity and resilience into sonic narratives of fugitivity. These sonic facilitations interlock for one special performance at Oakland’s East Side Arts Alliance.
Black Fighting Formations (BFF) is a presentation of two instrumental, music performance debuts: One of a conduction system for real-time sonic translation of organizing strategy; other . Oakland’s Black Organizing Projects’ Art & Culture contingent will perform “Bettering Our School System” campaign for the Soundwave Festival at East Side Arts Alliance. Black Organizing Project is a black, member-led, community organization working for racial, social and economic justice through grassroots organizing and community building in the Bay Area.
Introduced by Music Research Strategies founder
Marshall Trammell, BFF: demystifies political education beyond the limit of stage. Political education dynamics for an active campaign are mediated through a sonic facilitation of sound signifying organizing strategy. The research-driven process, known as Indexical Moment/um, delves into the motivation and expertise of BOP’s membership to produce emergent strategies via the construction and organization of sonic information. The conduction system is designed for non-musician conductors/organizers utilizing hand signals from the logics of consensus decision-making practices, idiosyncratic techniques, and, more-or-less common conduction gestures.
Performers include members of Oakland’s Black Organizing Project, master percussionist, vocalist and storyteller Moguawane Mahloele from South Africa, turntablist Jeramy DeCristo, and Music Research Strategist
Marshall Trammell.
Music Research Strategies delivers this critical, arts engagement platform as an expression of a Social Innovation Vernacular blending Soundwave Festival goers, Black Organizing Project constituents, fans of Creative Music, and East Side Arts Alliance community membership.