Music Hall Center For The Performing Arts is proud to be a part of this year's 29th African World Festival -August 19 to 21, in Hart Plaza on Detroit's Riverfront, as we present a visual and aural exhibit of World Beat creator and social activist, Fela Anikulapo Kuti- "The Man, the Movement The Music”, and one of this year's three honorees in the One Love Celebration.
The AWF is open from noon - 11:30 p.m. each day. The festival is free and more than 350,000 people are expected to attend the weekend celebration of a full range of communities in the African Diaspora - including African American, African and Caribbean culture including the "One Love Celebration" honoring
Bob Marley, Fela Anikulapo Kuti and Gil Scott Heron
"Feli Kuti Exhibit / The Man, the Music and the Movement" Featuring the work of artist, Lemi Ghariokwu, Curated by Music Hall
A special unveiling on August 19th, from 5-7 PM with Fela Kuti Album Artist, Lemi Ghariokwu who will speak prior to the exhibit at AWF.
The completely self-taught AfroPopArt artist is an Afro visionary. He gained worldwide fame as the designer of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s album covers; and between 1974 and 1993, he produced 26 of those, apart from hundreds of covers for musicians like Bob Marley, Kris Okotie, Gilles Peterson, Miriam Makeba, and Lucky Dube. In addition, for about a decade, from the early 1980s he was a consulting album cover designer for Polygram Records in Nigeria, designing more than 2000 covers for them. Many of Ghariokwu’s best known vinyl record album covers and historical photos will be included in the exhibit.
The exhibit will advance Music Hall's presentation of the Tony Award winning Broadway Musical, FELA! Coming February, 2012 for a two week run at the historic Music Hall, and will offer the AWF attendee a multi media overview of the is story of how Fela Kuti inspired a nation. FELA! tells the true story of the legendary Nigerian musician Fela Kuti, whose soulful Afrobeat rhythms ignited a generation.
Motivated by his mother, a civil rights champion, he defied a corrupt and oppressive military government and devoted his life and music to the struggle for freedom and human dignity. The exhibit will include, photographs, Album art, and the innovative and sensual music of Fela Kuti, a hybrid mixture of influences that are emblematic of the African experience all over the world.
-A sneak peek of the exhibit can be seen at Special Unveiling Reception 5pm - 7pm at the Lincoln Garden.
View Lemi Ghariokwu and his art here: http://vimeo.com/8011482