FELA 70
ANIKULAPO - A deity of music and afrobeat's god
With saxophone as his sacred sword,
He conquered hearts, and spirits soared.
The rhythm of his drums, was a sacred rite,
His voice echoed with wisdom and rage.
Here is to a fearless god that walked among men
With saxophone as his sacred sword,
He conquered hearts, and spirits soared.
The rhythm of his drums, was a sacred rite,
His voice echoed with wisdom and rage.
Here is to a fearless god that walked among men
SCULPTING A SOUL
We are not born finished; we are raw clay, waiting for the touch of a thousand hands.
In Yoruba culture, we have a profound truth: "Oju kan lon bimo, igba oju lo n wo", which means a child is born of one pair of eyes, but raised by a hundred. This is the cornerstone of my identity as an African youth. Across our continent, this wisdom echoes like a heartbeat: from the Tanzanian conviction that "one knee cannot raise a child" to the Swahili vow that "one hand cannot nurse a life."
But I go further: One hand cannot mold a human soul.
I wanted to capture the beauty of that collective labor. We are the sum of our influences-the teachers, the elders, the strangers, and the kin who press their fingerprints into our character. They are the artisans of our existence, constantly refining, smoothing, and strengthening our rough edges.
When you look at this piece, do not just see hands holding clay. See the ancestors, the mentors, and the community that refuse to let you stand alone. We are a living, breathing, collective masterpiece, sculpted by the interconnected wisdom of those who loved us enough to shape us.
