As May 25th is Africa Day (formerly African Freedom Day/Liberation Day) we felt to explore album art that celebrates the cultures from the motherland. The continent is made up of 54 countries so this is something to keep revisiting and shining a light to especially the relationship between colonialism and album art. The albums selected aren’t exclusively made by people in Africa but the artwork on them manages to capture the essence, whether its an illustration of the continent, a portrait cloth inspired cover or a couple’s photo which would not look out of place in a Seydou Keita exhibition plus much more.
ARTIST: PAT THOMAS
ALBUM: COMING HOME
YEAR: 2016
COUNTRY: GHANA
ARTIST: VADOU GAME
ALBUM: OTODI
YEAR: 2018
COUNTRY: TOGO / FRANCE
ARTIST: AMADOU & MARIAM
ALBUM: LA CONFUSION
YEAR: 2017
COUNTRY: MALI
ARTIST: WIZKID
ALBUM: SOUND FROM THE OTHER SIDE
YEAR: 2017
COUNTRY: NIGERIA
ALBUM: COMING HOME
YEAR: 2016
COUNTRY: GHANA
ARTIST: VADOU GAME
ALBUM: OTODI
YEAR: 2018
COUNTRY: TOGO / FRANCE
ARTIST: AMADOU & MARIAM
ALBUM: LA CONFUSION
YEAR: 2017
COUNTRY: MALI
ARTIST: WIZKID
ALBUM: SOUND FROM THE OTHER SIDE
YEAR: 2017
COUNTRY: NIGERIA
ARTIST: SAMTHING SOWETO
ALBUM: DANKO!
YEAR: 2020
COUNTRY: SOUTH AFRICA
ARTIST: SAMPA THE GREAT
ALBUM: FINAL FORM
YEAR: 2019
COUNTRY: ZAMBIA / AUSTRALIA
ARTIST: LIJADU SISTERS
ALBUM: MOTHER AFRICA
YEAR: 1977
COUNTRY: NIGERIA
ARTIST: KOKOROKO
ALBUM: BABA AYOOLA
YEAR: 2020
COUNTRY: UNITED KINGDOM
ALBUM: DANKO!
YEAR: 2020
COUNTRY: SOUTH AFRICA
ARTIST: SAMPA THE GREAT
ALBUM: FINAL FORM
YEAR: 2019
COUNTRY: ZAMBIA / AUSTRALIA
ARTIST: LIJADU SISTERS
ALBUM: MOTHER AFRICA
YEAR: 1977
COUNTRY: NIGERIA
ARTIST: KOKOROKO
ALBUM: BABA AYOOLA
YEAR: 2020
COUNTRY: UNITED KINGDOM