Sunday morning with Fela & Lemi Ghariokwu.

Nigerians have the best names in the whole world, no? Chinua Achebe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Babatunde Olatunji, Nnamdi Asomugha, Christian Okoye, and your ex-girlfriend Oluchi, She of the Amazing Rack.

Nigerian artist Lemi Ghariokwu has designed 2,000 album sleeves thus far, 26 of which were for Fela albums.
PS, this was just some of his discography, cuz Fela had more than 26 albums; I see you, Weezy.



Shook Mag: How did you end up designing sleeves for Fela?

LG: "I said to my mum (that a journalist who had seen my work) wants to take me to Fela’s compound, and that why I always remember my mum supported me throughout, she wasn’t reluctant to let me go, she said ok, I should go with him. So when we got to Fela’s place and he saw the portrait he really loved it and he used two words that I’d never heard before until that day and I will never forget them, he said, “Wow! Goddamn!” So he actually offered me money, in those days I used to earn 30 Naira for my portraits, he didn’t know this and he wrote out a cheque for 120 Naira! But I gave it back to him and said no Fela, I give it to you from the bottom of my heart, I don’t want any money. He was really surprised, and so he tore out a sheet of paper and he wrote out a gate pass, he wrote ‘Please admit bearer. Free of charge.’ So that was my pass to Kalakuta (Fela’s compound)."


"A couple of weeks later, Fela’s house was attacked by the police; it was headline news on the radio, television everywhere. So I was naturally eager to find out how he was, the journalist came (to the bar) and I said to him how is Fela? Is he ok? He said he is ok, he is in the hospital so he took me to the hospital. When we got there, the room where Fela was had maybe 20 or 30 people and he was talking, so we inched our way closer to the bed so he could see us and then Fela said “the artist!” and those words ‘the artist’ I felt it deep in my spirit. Then he started talking about a song he was going to write to lampoon the police called ‘Alagbon Close’ so that was the first sleeve I designed for him in November 1974."

I don't know if Lemi designed this one (the Internets failed me in my research efforts);
but, really, who cares? This whole post has been one big excuse for me to post the track below.

I need more of a 1971-type situation in my headphones these days.
Fela & Ginger Baker - "Let's Start." Life is wonderful.


mp3!

Art's Own Kind: Afrobeat and the Art of Lemi Ghariowu,

at Rich Mix gallery.