A Nigerian photographer's pictures of the Shrine appear on a new edition of Fela's ‘Zombie’
Bolaji Alonge's photographs of the New Afrika Shrine sit beside Lemi Ghariokwu's original artwork on a limited vinyl release of 1,000 copies.
Lagos — Photographs by the Nigerian photographer Bolaji Alonge feature on a new limited-edition vinyl release of Fela Kuti's album "Zombie", Premium Times reports.
The edition, limited to 1,000 copies, is a collaboration between the American fashion label Denim Tears and the Fela Kuti Estate. It was scheduled for release on Friday, 9 October.
Old artwork, new pictures
The packaging was reimagined by Tremaine Emory, the designer behind Denim Tears. It combines Alonge's photographs of the New Afrika Shrine in Lagos with the original "Zombie" cover by Lemi Ghariokwu, the artist who designed many of Fela's best-known sleeves.
The record is being sold through the online stores of Partisan Records and the Fela Kuti Estate, and at shops including Dover Street Market in London and Turntable Lab in the United States.
The record that provoked a raid
"Zombie" was first released in 1976. Its title track mocked Nigerian soldiers as unthinking followers of orders, and it became one of the most popular songs of Fela's career.
The military government's response was violent. On 18 February 1977 soldiers attacked Kalakuta Republic, the commune in Lagos where Fela lived and recorded. The compound was burned, and its residents were beaten.
Fela, the creator of Afrobeat, died in 1997. The New Afrika Shrine, run by his family, continues to host concerts and the annual Felabration festival, which takes place each October around his birthday.
This report is based on reporting by Premium Times.
