Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts

Thursday, April 14, 2011

West Africa's Largest Art Gallery

I am slowly becoming of fan of famous fabric dyer Nike Davies Okundaye from Nigeria. Her craft is not the only thing that draws me to her, but also her vision to bring arts back to the Nigerian forefront and bring more women out of poverty through art. She is seriously a phenomenal woman (and yes I see her as the Nigerian Maya Angelou).

Okundaye also owns the largest art gallery in West Africa. Take a look at this excerpt from CNN International's "African Voices."


I think many people tend to neglect and/or forget that art is alive and well throughout Africa in so many ways and has been for centuries and continues to be inspiration for artists in every discipline. Not too long ago, I even found some info about a documentary that focuses on the youth culture in South Africa.

With the recent events in Libya and Ivory Coast, which have brought a necessary but negative attention to this diverse continent, maybe this might open doors to a world that has been greatly generalized for so long. The countries that are center stage in the news are going through very different experiences and yet are on the same continent - an example of how there are sharp contrasts, contrary to the stereotype that African cultures are the same. Now it is up to viewers to realize the contrasts and maybe begin to see Africa beyond wars, poverty, AIDS and safaris.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Fela! in Lagos


Oh, how fitting! The successful Broadway musical "Fela!" is going to Lagos in April to honor the late Fela Kuti, according to BBC News. Kuti is from Lagos and is applauded as the King of Afrobeat and one of the greatest musicians of the second half of the 20th century. This musical chronicles his life and the executives producers are Jay-Z and Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith.

What I like most about this is not only the fact that Nigeria's economic potential and strength is being recognized by some prominent African-Americans, but also that this is to pay homage to someone who help shape the way Nigeria is today. Also, this move shows the growing and more apparent middle class in Nigeria.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Nigerian Performer: WizKid

I think some of the younger blog fans might like this rising Nigerian in the African music scene, WizKid (maybe some of the older people, too).