A question of the sonic: problematizing Afrofuturism and its relation to Black Sound, with a case study of DJ Steloolive’s performance art

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper focuses on the sonic dimension of Afrofuturist artefacts, building on contemporary theory pertaining to the speculative and aesthetic potential of Black Sound. The proposed case study focuses on a key performance held in West Africa by Ghanaian artist and composer Steloolive. The musical act is discussed with regard to the artistic media featured, as well as the strategies employed on stage, adding to the complexity of this contemporary genre. Moreover, special attention is paid to historical and contemporary references, as well as the transposal of sound into matter in the way the artist experiments with sound production and fashion statements. From the artist’s choice of attire to stage set-up and, eventually, to soundscape—performances of the kind Steloolive engages in are relevant to the discussion as they contribute to the widening of the Afrofuturist imaginary beyond the material and to the understanding of technological development as encompassing medium and genre.