Nigerian Artistes Doing Enough To Export Our Music – Lemi Ghariokwu

Veteran artist and designer, Lemi Ghariokwu, has commended Nigerian artistes of today for doing enough to export Nigerian music.

The likes of Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, Asake, Rema, Ayra Starr, Tems, Tiwa Savage, Yemi Alade, and Adekunle Gold have continued to put the country on the global map through their music.

He noted that afrobeats has come into recognition as a kind of contemporary music from Nigeria.

Lemi, whose artworks provided many of the original cover images for the recordings of the legendary Fela Kuti, spoke on the backdrop of today’s artistes doing enough to export Nigerian music compared to those of yesteryears, said, “They are doing enough. In the 70s and 80s, we had great musicians who had great fellowship. We had Fela bringing Afrobeat music, King Sunny Ade, Obey doing juju music, and Barrister Ayinde, who had great followership with their kind of music. Today’s musicians have taken it a step further and are doing shows in big places that the older artistes couldn’t.

The brand name, Afrobeats, has been given to Nigerian music, which is a general name, but we didn’t have it like that. So let’s give the contemporary artistes their flowers as they have done well, and it can only get better,” says Lemi.

The artist, who clocked 70 last December, said he still feels 18 and that age is only a state of mind, and will continue to work where opportunities and his services are needed.

”I feel good at 70, even though age is a state of the mind. 18 years is the age of adulthood, and so I feel 52 years have been added to my life. I studied metaphysics, so I still feel young. Life is a natural mystic. Are there any opportunities available for me to consolidate my legacy? I will definitely be there,” the artiste noted.

Lemi Ghariokwu, simply known as Lemi, is a Nigerian painter, illustrator, and designer who is most renowned for providing many of the original cover images for recordings by Nigerian musician Fela Kuti.