This Is Africa - The man behind Fela Kuti's album art

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The man behind Fela Kuti's album art

Wednesday, 16 December 2009

Lemi Ghariokwu, aka the inventor of Lagos Afro Pop Art, the man who used a mix of collage, painting and illustration, to create narratives that echoed and elaborated on the politically and socially charged sentiment of Fela’s music. (Click on “Read More”)

Afrobeat
Fela coined the term Afrobeat, “Afro” being a reference to people of African descent, and “beat” a reference to the rhythm of the music. Afrobeat is basically a combination of Yoruba music, jazz, highlife, and funk rhythms, fused with percussion and vocals.

Alagbon Close, 1974

The rhythm is infectious, but Fela’s politically-charged lyrics really helped it connect with the streets. His music became rhythmic protests describing the atrocities endured by the common man as a result of government incompetence and corruption.

Ikoyi Blindness

His music was also critical of the thinking and behaviour of Africans in general, both of which betrayed (and still betrays) a colonial mentality that robbed people of cultural pride.

All of which Lemi tried to capture in his album covers.

No Bread

No Bread - The consequences of inflation

Yellow Fever

Yellow Fever - A reference to the practice of skin bleaching, something many Africans do to lighten their skin tone in a desire to look less African

Upside Down

Upside Down - “Mr Africa” hanging by his ankles, a system turned upside down

Before I Jump Like Monkey Give Me Banana

Before I Jump Like Monkey Give Me Banana

Kalakuta Show

Zombie

Zombie - Reference to Nigeria's soldiers who just follow orders like zombies; minimalist cover, a style exception

Vid posted by Damien Priest

Related post
Action from The Shrine, Lagos

External links – Afrobeat: Culture and practioners
Afrobeat (National Geographic)
Fela Anikulapo Kuti (Wikipedia)
Lemi at MySpace and at MoMA
Femi Kuti
Seun Kuti
Tony Allen – Co-founder of Afrobeat, drummer and musical director of Fela Anikulapo Kuti's band Africa 70 from 1968 to 1979, one of the greatest, and most in-demand, drummers alive.
Dele Sosimi – former member of Fela's Anikulapo-Kuti's Egypt 80
Wunmi - Afrobeat meets New York’s house meets London’s jazz meets broken beat and classic street soul sounds
DJ Rich Medina - Connecting the Dots between Hip Hop, Jazz, House, Spoken Word, Afro-beat, and Bass Heavy Future Soul
Antibalas
See Wikipedia for more