pgp422: Afropunk ATL – a Carnival of Consciousness

Photos by Mia McLeod, earthBrotha KING and earthSista BUKU

Afropunk has always been a threatening storm in Atlanta.

Looking back at last month’s show and the threat of storms brought about by overcast skies is a reminder that this has been the short-lived tradition of this unique eclectic mix of artists and individualists descending on the land of peaches and herb. It was scary at first… that first year… but no more. The storm is no longer a threat. It’s become a herald of the things to come.

AfropunkATL was the “Carnival of Consciousness.” And like those threatening clouds, the artists, the weirdos, the musicians, the gender benders, the people, were all culture-rich, awesome and terrifying. They were that liberated threat to whatever you thought was the status quo and they were celebrating. Afropunk was that party where everyone is expected to be their authentic self. This year’s carnival was a feast for mind, body and soul.

Attendees and fans waited in anticipation for the music and were ecstatically enthused by the performances. The Atlanta show featured headliners Anderson Park, The Free Nationals, FKA Twigs, Danny Brown, Gallant, Smino, SiR, Earthgang , Masego, Fever 333, Mahalia an so many more. The party not only featured sounds from it punk roots, there was R&B, Hip-Hop, Dancehall and House in the house. All of it flavored with the soulful African roots.

All of the color… all of the lights… all of the skin… all of the music. It was a conscious bacchanalia of authentic swagger. You do you in is space where there’s “No Sexism, No Racism, No Ableism, No Ageism, No Homophobia, No Fatphobia, No Transphobia, No Hatefulness.” And as the clouds broke ranks adding showers to the festivities, the final acts became a baptism, washing away all remnants of the social morés that had inhibited the attendees in the past.

“AFROPUNK is defining culture by the collective creative actions of the individual and the group. It is a safe place, a blank space to freak out in, to construct a new reality, to live your life as you see fit, while making sense of the world around you.”

–Afropunk.com

NEXT STOP:  AFROPUNK JOBURG – DEC 30-31

What is your Afrosensual Portrait? Were you feeling cute one day, on your way out the door…or just getting out of the shower…so you break out the camera and snap away…No one around to make you feel like you have to pose this way or that way… So you just do you and snap away… Well, show us how you see yourself in your camera… The UdoU Series focuses on how Sistas see themselves; creating captures of their own Afrocentric beauty and sensuality. We invite you to participate by using your own SLR camera or your Point-and-Shoot Kodak, even your camera phone. We want you to capture you.

Pangea’s Nature Stroll Series… The moments are unique and timeless. There is a symphony of scents and sounds as well as visions that intertwine to create and extraordinary body of stimuli. When you are there, you can’t help but be inspired by God’s design. this was the backdrop for the beautiful women who have all taken part in this extraordinary rich series of images that are still never ending. Momentary strolls that were reflective, imaginative, provocative and creative led to some revealing moments in which beauty both inside and out was exposed.

The Afrosensual Aesthetic is the GardenVoice that pushes the limits and deepens the perspective. It is still be done from a position of respect, pride and joy, but here we will be able to explore themes that don’t quite fit within the earthSista box. Its is a place for the sensual lovermakers and the premium cultivators. Check it out and share your thoughts and ideas and passions.