by Anthony R. Green

This blog is a delayed one. The Castle of our Skins BLACK LOVE month was, indeed, last month, however our Kurapa Project has NOT been removed. Why? Healing is not just a month-long process! And even if one goes through a cycle of healing, that does not mean the effects last forever. One can go through the cycle constantly, and learn more and more about oneself, the world, and the process. With that - the last blog focusing on "Air - Mweya" was not published when it was supposed to be (as indicated at the end of the "Fire - Moto" post). And that is why it is appearing today - delayed, but not forgotten. With that, for today's post, keep in mind that after burning, material breaks down, and part of that process yields transformations that become part of the air we breathe. 

image from kurapa.webflow.io

In this last prompt, it is implied that this concept of air has many implications: what we breathe, wind, our own breath, the transformation of smoke into "something bigger" (smoke disseminating into the air). Smoke can also be used for smoke signals - a method of communication, especially amongst indigenous cultures in times of emergencies. With this, the smoke from our "moto" can be a communicative smoke that eventually settles or transforms into the air we breathe. It completes the process: from the ether, condensation of our thoughts and energies falls down into the water, feeding entities within the earth, which absorbs and grows. Refining fires separate the necessary impurities, and the rest rises into the air, eventually becoming part of the ether. And the cycle can then continue, constantly bringing healing, and affecting our environments. 

Have you incorporated Kurapa into your life? It is never too late to begin healing!

If you have participated in this process, be sure to leave some feedback for the creators!

by Anthony R. Green

Today's BIBA is about Beyond/Apex, a bi-weekly online radio program run by composer and trumpet player Forbes Graham. The title comes from a past project that did not come to fruition. However, the title spoke to Graham as a representation of the idea of "going beyond the limits, in something of a personal way; going beyond what you think you can do." Since it began in late March this year, it has featured music by over 100 artists. Graham runs this show by himself; it is, for him, "a small gesture of support" to artists who have been compromised during this period. 

                                                      photo by Lillian Graham

According to Graham: "The show primarily focuses on music from the last two decades. There are exceptions to that, however. I have played music from as far back as the 60s. I very much stick within 'avant-garde' or 'experimental' music, but that covers such a variety including noise, free jazz, new music, music concrete, non-idiomatic free improv, etc. And that's part of the philosophy, to bring these musics together in the show. I hope that listeners do discover music they didn't know about before. If someone likes Arthur Brooks, perhaps they haven't heard Nomi Epstein. I want the show to include artists from all kinds of backgrounds. All kinds of approaches to making music/sound, educational backgrounds, racial and ethnic identity, gender identity, and so on. Even though it's not vernacular music, I want to be welcoming and door opening.

"My future plans mainly involve deciding whether I want to do featured interviews with artists or theme-related shows. Besides that I'm also looking at how I can really stay true to the mission of having a show that has a diverse array of artists. It's really easy to slip into being lazy when picking things to play on the show. I want to make sure that I'm dedicating time and effort to discovering new artists, which is a lot of fun."

While Graham admits to frequently listening to music, Beyond/Apex has helped Graham get more engaged with current trends from contemporary artists. He has particularly enjoyed engaging with the music and artistry Eleanor Alberga, Jeffrey Mumford, and Lucia Dlugoszewski.

To listen to Beyond/Apex, visit: http://beyondapexshow.com

To learn more about Forbes Graham, visit: http://www.forbesgrahammusic.com, and follow him on Twitter and Instagram, @forbesgraham_
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