How Sun Ra's Alien Encounter Shaped Jazz
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When the aliens arrived for Sun Ra, they said he was chosen for his incredible discipline. They thought not all humans could handle space travel, but Sun Ra's control over his mind and body made him a good fit.
This happened back in the 1930s when he was studying to be a teacher in Alabama. They took him to Saturn and told him he had a bigger purpose than teaching – he was given knowledge that went beyond human imagination. They told him to wait until Earth was at its lowest point, and then he could share the "equations" for going beyond normal life.
By the 1950s, things seemed really bad with racism, the fear of war, and social struggles. So, for the next forty years until he passed away in 1993, Sun Ra made over a hundred albums. Most of which were meant for dancing, even though not many knew how.
Sun Ra was a piano and music prodigy. After his alien experience, he left school and moved to Chicago, where he learned about new religious ideas and hidden Black histories.
These ideas became part of his music. Instead of traditional tunes, they played in a wild style with electronic sounds and unusual horns. Sun Ra's cosmic philosophy and innovative compositions challenged conventions, revolutionizing jazz forever.
In 1952, he changed his name from Herman Poole Blount to Sun Ra, after the Egyptian sun god; and made a band, later known as the Arkestra.
Ra wasn't the first bandleader to be tough on his band; but he took it to the extreme. If musicians didn't focus or were late, they'd be locked up or get the "royal treatment." At the next show, they'd sit on a chair at the front, and Ra would say they couldn't play due to a lack of discipline.
It might sound funny, but it showed how much power Ra and his music had over them. Many stayed with him for years, even after he died in 1993.
When Sun Ra called himself an angel, it was a big statement. He didn't want to be linked with what he saw as a failed human race. He stuck to his principles till the end.
Those who met him say Sun Ra was truly unique. He was a musical genius, a pioneer in the music world, and a thinker of big ideas. He was both different and ahead of his time – like he was from another planet.
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