Music From Saturn

Imaginary Worlds

Eric Molinsky

Arts, Science Fiction, Fiction, Society & Culture

4.8 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 1 April 2021

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Sun Ra claimed to be an extraterrestrial being from Saturn who could teleport you to other planets with his music. That may or may not have been true, but he certainly was the leader of one of the most influential jazz ensembles of the 20th century, and he’s often called the father of Afrofuturism. I talk with artist Cauleen Smith and writer John Corbett about Sun Ra’s creative journey, and why he was light years ahead of his time. The musician Idris Ackamoor explains why Sun Ra was an inspiration for his band The Pyramids. And Ytasha Womack, author of fiction and non-fiction books about Afrofuturism, discusses why imagining the future is still a radical act. Today's episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Want to advertise/sponsor our show? We have partnered with AdvertiseCast to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. They’re great to work with and will help you advertise on our show. Please email [email protected] or click the link below to get started. Imaginary Worlds AdvertiseCast Listing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Tab for a cause is a browser extension that lets you raise money for charity will do
0:04.8	in your thing online.
0:06.6	Whenever you open a new tab, you'll see a beautiful background photo and a small ad.
0:11.5	And part of that ad money goes towards a charity of your choice.
0:15.6	It's free and incredibly easy.
0:18.1	Transform your tabs into a force for good in just 30 seconds.
0:22.4	Sign up at tabforacaws.org slash imaginary worlds.
0:29.3	We're listening to imaginary worlds.
0:30.9	I show about how we create them and why we suspend our disbelief.
0:34.8	I'm Eric Mollinsky.
0:37.1	So this podcast is about science fiction and fantasy, which are big passions of mine.
0:42.0	But I have other interests too, which just don't come up.
0:45.4	Like I really love jazz.
0:47.5	I've made many trips to New Orleans.
0:50.4	I've seen Whitten Marcellas in concert more times that I can count.
0:55.4	When I was heartbroken, when one of my favorite clubs in New York, the jazz standard had to
1:00.4	shut down because of the pandemic.
1:03.2	But there is one place where my two interests of science fiction and jazz collide.
1:08.2	The musician, Sunra.
1:10.7	That's Sun, like the Sun on the Sky, and Ra, like the Egyptian God.
1:16.2	Sunra is considered one of the best jazz composers, musicians, and band leaders of his time.
1:22.6	The height of his career was the 1970s.
	...

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