Título: Sun Ra
Seção: Philosophy
Background: Sun Ra (born Herman Poole Blount, legal name Le Sony'r Ra; May 22, 1914 - May 30, 1993) was an American jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, and poet known for his experimental music, "cosmic" philosophy, prolific output, and theatrical performances. For much of his career, Ra led "The Arkestra", an ensemble with an ever-changing name and flexible line-up. Born and raised in Alabama, Blount eventually became involved in the Chicago jazz scene during the 1940s. He soon abandoned his birth name, taking the name Sun Ra (after Ra, the Egyptian God of the Sun) and developing a complex persona and mythology that would make him a pioneer of Afrofuturism: he claimed he was an alien from Saturn on a mission to preach peace, and throughout his life he consistently denied any ties to his prior identity.

Conteúdo: Sun Ra's world view was often described as a philosophy, but he rejected this term, describing his own manner as an "equation" and saying that while philosophy was based on theories and abstract reasoning, his method was based on logic and pragmatism. Many of the Arkestra cite Sun Ra's teachings as pivotal and for inspiring such long-term devotion to the music that they knew would never make them much money. His equation was rarely (if ever) explained as a whole; instead, it was related in bits and pieces over many years, leading some to doubt that he had a coherent message. However, Martinelli argues that, when considered as a whole, one can discern a unified world view that draws upon many sources, but is also unique to Sun Ra, writing:  Sun Ra presents a unified conception, incorporating music, myth, and performance into his multi-leveled equations. Every aspect of the Sun Ra experience, from business practices like Saturn Records to published collections of poetry to his 35-year career in music, is a manifestation of his equations. Sun Ra seeks to elevate humanity beyond their current earthbound state, tied to outmoded conceptions of life and death when the potential future of immortality awaits them. As Hall has put it, "In this era of 'practical' things men ridicule even the existence of God. They scoff at goodness while they ponder with befuddled minds the phantasmagoria of materiality. They have forgotten the path which leads beyond the stars."  He drew on sources as 

user: What was Sun Ra's philosophy?

assistant: describing his own manner as an "equation" and saying that while philosophy was based on theories and abstract reasoning,

user: What was the main premise of his philosophy?

assistant: Many of the Arkestra cite Sun Ra's teachings as pivotal and for inspiring such long-term devotion to the music

user: Who are the Arkestra?

assistant: CANNOTANSWER

user: What were Sun Ra's teachings?

assistant: Sun Ra presents a unified conception, incorporating music, myth, and performance into his multi-leveled equations.

user: What is an example of a famous performance he gave?

assistant: The most famous example was "Space Is the Place!"

user: Was the performance highly acclaimed?

assistant: CANNOTANSWER

user: Where did he perform Space is the Place?

assistant: Sometimes (typically at the end of a set) the entire Arkestra snaked out through the audience, playing and chanting something like this.