#Galleryyuhself/Perceptions about The Arts

[galleryyuhself]

Galleryyuhself - One of my favorite Calypsonians has come up with a very entrancing image for his latest music.

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Kurt Allen releases powerful song ''subconsciously'' on Emancipation Day, August 1st Port-0f-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

- Trinidadian calypsonian and esteemed songwriter Kurt Allen is set to unveil his highly anticipated single titled "SUBCONSCIOUSLY" on Emancipation Day, August 1st, 2023.

The thought-provoking song addresses the pressing need for media outlets to prioritize and amplify the positive achievements of black individuals, while challenging negative stereotypes that perpetuate systemic biases."SUBCONSCIOUSLY" is an extraordinary piece of art that aims to ignite conversations about racial representation, equality, and the power of media influence.With his characteristic eloquence and poignant lyricism, Kurt Allen delves into the deeper societal implications of media portrayal and the critical role it plays in shaping public perceptions.

Through the song's emotive narrative, Kurt Allen urges media platforms to become agents of change and encourages audiences to demand a more balanced and inclusive representation of black excellence.His call to action is a resounding reminder of the collective responsibility to challenge harmful narratives and foster a future of unity and understanding.In describing the inspiration behind "SUBCONSCIOUSLY," Kurt Allen stated, "Emancipation Day is a symbol of liberation and empowerment, and it serves as the perfect platform to unveil this song. It's time for us to embrace our collective humanity and celebrate the exceptional achievements of black people, pre and post the slave trade.We must dismantle harmful stereotypes and recognise the contributions that have shaped our history and will define our future."The release of "SUBCONSCIOUSLY" is set to coincide with Emancipation Day, a historic commemoration that marks the abolition of slavery in many parts of the world.Kurt Allen's “acoustic” song stands as a testament to the power of art in driving social change and promoting positive dialogue.Kurt Allen's "SUBCONSCIOUSLY" was produced by Kenny Phillips, with Kenny Phillips on guitar and recorded at KMP Studio. The track will be available for streaming and download on all major music platforms starting August 1st, 2023.About Kurt Allen: Kurt Allen is a Trinidadian calypsonian and renowned songwriter known for his captivating storytelling and socially conscious music. His thought-provoking lyrics have earned him acclaim both locally and internationally, making him a celebrated voice for change.

[galleryyuhself]

A serious message about the constant perceptions of the Arts

Aditee Biswas on Facebook reacted to the following image -:

“I wonder how people would have survived the lockdown without films, web series, TV shows, online workshops, listening to music, seeing performance showcases and reading books 🤔 yes of course... Artists are the most non-essential entities “jobs” in any society! Brilliant!!! Thanks Padma Damodaran for sharing this!

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This led to a very strong response from the prolific Holly Bynoe, Co-founder and  Director of Tilting Axis, 

See it here as follows:

”This kind of microaggression always manages to grind my gears and makes me want to burn shit down. Thanks, Sonia for the early morning blood flow.

You create as a child, to enter into adolescence only to be shown by the education system that you matter less, that they aren't really serious about you...you either get discouraged and walk away or you try to get into a Community College or College to pursue your dreams.

You take out that loan and you are gung ho to change your world and challenge your path. You are passionate, driven, you connect with your intentions and meaning only to be told by your families and societies that what you are doing is a hobby or worse yet, you won't amount to anything because of this passion and because there is no value attached to creating.

You manage to pass with flying colours and honours (cause that is what we do), but you return home, or you were always home, to begin with, in these failed states that let you know that "you cant pursue this dream". Yet you persist and find all kinds of ways to train and to elevate. You form collaboratives, you are a part of reading and study groups and critiques.

You start to align yourself deeper with this purpose, but you are continuously bombarded with this ROI - return on investment - talk and industry talk and fledging talk about how they want to take you to market...like you haven't been on the block for a long, long, long time.

But you focus, on what you are doing because you know that it gives you breath and it gives you a way to see the condition of your space. You become entranced by our culture and our history. You go digging for secrets, for new ways for our chained minds to find freedom. You develop bodies of work that explore language, that unchain it from whatever yoke and stranglehold that it was tied to.

You gather the courage to tackle our colonial conditioning and the damage that it has done, and people get really uncomfortable. They get so uncomfortable that they start to demonise you, you are no longer looked at as a passive person conforming to the ideals, customs and codes put forward by the society.

You have become dangerous, and this is why we are continuously bombarded with messages that we don't matter and what we do has no value. That being an artist is inconsequential.

They want to distract us from the purpose, from the uprising from the truth-telling and they want us to play to their respectability politics, colonial yokes and above all to their comfort.

Well, I am happy that we are creating and thriving in 2020 and this part however hard, at least we know that we have communities of like minds who can hold us up and hold healing space for us when trash like this shows up.

Our governments have done such a piss poor/conniving/disempowered whack job with the creative industries and the Orange economies. They continue to caricature us, whittling us down to the baser denominators of Junkanoo, carnival and all of that other festival shite (don't get me wrong it is powerful but the investment, marketing and commercialisation are deeply problematic) without understanding the nuances of how creativity manifests and how this division of labour in our minds and our hearts can truly advance our communities.

And in all of this, I am still in the studio or at the desk writing. I'm not even speaking about all of the social arts education we need to heal our SICK SICK SICK minds...all of the art therapy that we need as a region to unlock these traumas that have been stuck in our throats and hearts for generations.

It is a shame that we are still behind the eightball, still playing it safe even with all of our technologies, innovations and advancement.

I wonder what our ancestors would say if they were here to see how the brutalism has spread. That we are doing it to ourselves.

I wonder, above all that what kind of new technologies some of us are creating to mash-up this sickness and these enslaved mentalities that would never allow us our freedom to be.“ -Holly Bynoe