MUSIC: AfroPunk Weekend in Brooklyn

 

The Skins @ Afropunk

This past weekend at Commodore Barry Park in Brooklyn marked the sixth year, long awaited, 2-day Afropunk Festival (August 24th and 25th) and for the first time we (Synch Ladies, Chante and Caprice) were thoroughly delighted and in awe to be in attendance for one of the most culturally diverse festivals in NYC! 

The festival featured brilliant artists from all corners of the rock music genre; garnering a huge community of rocksters from the non-conforming youth to the mature.  This would be a looooooooong read if we named every single artists on the bill, so we'll give you a snippet of who rocked the stage: The Skins (this super polished band of young adults set off the festival with an enormous BANG), Living Colour (how could you NOT have this iconic rock band grace the stage? HUH??), Saul Williams, Questlove, Unlocking The Truth, DJ Hernandez, Wicked Wisdom, led by Jada Pinkett Smith (yes, there was a Will Smith sighting) and a plethora of performers who unleashed a hurtin' from the early afternoon into the wee hours of the night.  Oh and NO, there is no way it stops at JUST the music!!  There was much to do and see, such as the ART WALL canvas featuring works by Ronald Wimberly; rock climbing by the Brooklyn Boulders; delicious grub from a vast array of food vendors (shouting out Phin & Phebes!!) and The SpinThrift Market to "feed your shopping fix" from customized t-shirts to jewelry and everything in between!

In the mist of all the weekend excitement, we chatted briefly about the festival and the legacy of rock music (take a listen here) in all its splendor. 

There is no doubt that we will be back next year and hopefully, SR's Caprice will get a chance to rock the stage with the best of them!  

Until next year AfroPunk and keep ROCK ALIVE!!!



-Synchronized Rhythm

FILM: "Nice & Rough"

The film "Nice & Rough" is about the untold story of black women who rock & roll!


This film, which is currently in production, is the brainchild of Director-Producer-Writer, Sheila Hardy. She conceived this project out of her love for honest, raw, and soulful music. Hardy is also a historian, journalist and co-author of the award-winning book Extraordinary People of the Harlem Renaissance, and the book "Extraordinary People of the Civil Rights Movement". 


Sheila Hardy expresses the impact of a film of this magnitude as follows "Beyond the obvious benefit to this community of women, Nice & Rough conveys a universal message. It provides a unique perspective, and a rare look at the lives of women who perform rock. This film poses important questions that will prompt the audience to rethink how we experience music and each other. Like music, this film has the power to bring people together. It's an important part of music history that must be shared". 


Please check the trailer and join the Nice & Rough web community for updates on the progress of this film as well as connect with the many other women in rock! 


 -Chante


SideNote: S/O for AfroPunk for posting the trailer!