Laolu Senbanjo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Lagos, Nigeria |
| Known for | The Sacred Art of the Ori |
| Notable work | Beyonce's Visual Album, Lemonade |
| Website | http://www.laolu.nyc |
Laolu (Olaolu) Senbanjo, also known as "Laolu NYC", is a Nigerian visual artist, musician, singer/songwriter and former human rights attorney. [1]
Senbanjo was born and raised in Ilorin, Nigeria by Yoruba parents. His father was a lawyer, his mother was a nurse. He grew up performing in his church's choir. While in school he had a music group called Light and Fire which performed original songs and covers. [2] [3]
Senbanjo studied law at Nigeria's Law School and, despite wanting to drop out during his second year, received his degree in 2005. [4] He then worked as a human rights lawyer for five years, spending his final three years working at the National Human Rights Commission as a senior legal officer focusing on women and children's rights. Senbanjo travelled to different parts of Northern Nigeria visiting schools and villages to educate men and women about why children should be in school. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]
"I knew if I pursued a career in the arts, I'd have to live with the fact that some people in my hometown might never talk to me again", said Senbanjo in an interview with 99U. [4] Despite this, in 2010 Senbanjo quit his job as a lawyer and started the Laolu Senbanjo Art Gallery in Abuja, Nigeria.
Senbanjo moved to Brooklyn, New York, in August 2013 to pursue his art career.
Senbanjo has coined his style of art, Afromysterics, meaning mystery of the African thought pattern. It incorporates African themes and African traditions. His uses charcoal and distinct patterns to create complex, story-rich art designs that draw heavily on his Yoruba heritage and feature ancient Nigerian symbols and patterns. [2] [10] Senbanjo says his Nigerian roots are a major source for his visual inspiration. Though his visual references have been described as sharing "affinities with Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring". [11]
He has had commissions from and formed partnerships with, celebrities and brand titans including Nike, [12] Beyoncé's album Lemonade, the Grammy Museum and the Smithsonian Institution. [4] He has also partnered with Danielle Brooks (who plays Tasha Jefferson on the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black ). In June 2015, Senbanjo's new mantra became "everything is my canvas" and he began painting on everything from shoes, to jackets, to people. [13] He created the Sacred Art of the Ori Ritual, [14] which he describes and explains in an 11 September 2017 TED talk. [15] [16] In his TED talk, Senbanjo talks about his work Dreamscape. In Laolu Senbanjo’s 2018 print, Dreamscape , he reflects his frustration with the injustice in the world. [17] Working as a human rights attorney, he saw cases with children who faced the harsh reality of getting forced into marriage or continuing their education at a university. [17] The artwork “is a mind map,” starting where most life does, from a vagina, to then connecting the journey of life and all that comes with that experience to the origin story of being born. [18] Some of the print’s “major themes include religion, war, politics, technology, Egyptology, sexuality, economics, environmental waste, media, history, music, greed and human nature.” [18] Like most of his art, a bold design connects each element in the work inspired by his Yoruba ancestry. Another example of his art style and ancestral Yoruba influence that is more well-known is showcased in Beyoncé’s Lemonade , where Senbanjo’s body art is showcase throughout the visual album. [19]
Senbanjo and his Sacred Art of the Ori Ritual has been featured in various music videos, including:
Senbanjo has been invited to collaborate with several brands, including:
Senbanjo is a world music artist who draws influences from Fela Kuti, Sade (singer), Bob Marley, and King Sunny Adé. His musical style is deeply rooted in the traditions of Afrobeat and High Life, mixed with Afro-Soul and Reggae. Senbanjo blends singing in his native Yoruba language and often translates Yoruba folks songs, proverbs and his oriki into English. [36] [37] [38]
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter is an American singer, songwriter and businesswoman. Dubbed "Queen Bey", she is regarded as a prominent cultural figure of the 21st century and has been recognized for her artistry and performances, with Rolling Stone naming her one of the greatest vocalists of all time.
The Yoruba religion, West African Orisa (Òrìṣà), or Isese (Ìṣẹ̀ṣe), comprises the traditional religious and spiritual concepts and practice of the Yoruba people. Its homeland is in present-day Southwestern Nigeria, which comprises the majority of Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Kwara and Lagos States, as well as parts of Kogi state and the adjoining parts of Benin and Togo, commonly known as Yorubaland.
Afrofuturism is a cultural aesthetic, philosophy of science, and history that explores the intersection of the African diaspora culture with science and technology. It addresses themes and concerns of the African diaspora through technoculture and speculative fiction, encompassing a range of media and artists with a shared interest in envisioning black futures that stem from Afro-diasporic experiences. While Afrofuturism is most commonly associated with science fiction, it can also encompass other speculative genres such as fantasy, alternate history and magic realism. The term was coined by American cultural critic Mark Dery in 1993 and explored in the late 1990s through conversations led by Alondra Nelson.
Chief Nike Davies-Okundaye, also known as Nike Okundaye, Nike Twins Seven Seven and Nike Olaniyi, is a Nigerian Yoruba and adire textile designer. She is best known as an artist for her cloth work and embroidery pieces.
The Yoruba of West Africa are responsible for a distinct artistic tradition in Africa, a tradition that remains vital and influential today.
Celestine Ann "Tina" Beyoncé Knowles-Lawson is an American businesswoman, fashion designer, and philanthropist known for establishing the brands House of Deréon and Miss Tina by Tina Knowles. She is the mother of singers Beyoncé and Solange Knowles and was married until 2011 to their father Mathew Knowles, the manager of Destiny's Child. For her contribution to the fashion business, Knowles was honored at the Accessories Council Excellence Awards in 2001.
Parkwood Entertainment is an American management, production, entertainment company and record label founded by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé in 2010. The company began as a production unit for films and videos in 2008. It has offices located in New York City and Los Angeles. Its involvements include products for music production, motion pictures and television specials related to Beyoncé. The company's first release was the film Cadillac Records (2008).
Ase, ashe, or aṣe is a Yoruba philosophy that is defined to represent the power that makes things happen and produces change in the Yoruba religion. It is believed to be given by Olodumare to everything — gods, ancestors, spirits, humans, animals, plants, rocks, rivers, and voiced words such as songs, prayers, praises, curses, or even everyday conversation. Existence, according to Yoruba thought, is dependent upon it.
Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, who is known professionally as Wizkid, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. Born in the Ojuelegba suburb of Surulere, Lagos, Wizkid is a voice in the emerging Afrobeats movement. His music is a blend of Afrobeats, afropop, R&B, afrobeat, reggae, dancehall, and pop. He began recording music at the age of 11 and released a collaborative album with the Glorious Five, a group he and a couple of his church friends formed. In 2009, Wizkid signed a record deal with Banky W's Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E). He rose to the limelight after releasing "Holla at Your Boy", the lead single from his debut studio album, Superstar (2011), which also spawned the singles "Tease Me/Bad Guys" and "Don't Dull".
Warsan Shire is a British writer, poet, editor and teacher, who was born to Somali parents in Kenya. In 2013, she was awarded the inaugural Brunel University African Poetry Prize, chosen from a shortlist of six candidates out of a total 655 entries. Her words "No one leaves home unless/home is the mouth of a shark", from the poem "Conversations about Home ", have been called "a rallying call for refugees and their advocates".
Yemi Eberechi Alade, better known as Yemi Alade, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, actress and activist. Her music is a mixture of Afropop, highlife, dancehall, pop and R&B, and has been of influence in several countries across Africa. She sings in English, Igbo, Pidgin, Yoruba, French, Swahili and Portuguese.
Lemonade is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé. It was released on April 23, 2016, by Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records, accompanied by a 65-minute film of the same title. It follows her self-titled fifth studio album (2013), and is a concept album with a song cycle that relates Beyoncé's emotional journey after her husband's infidelity in a generational and racial context. Primarily an R&B and art pop album, Lemonade encompasses a variety of genres, including reggae, blues, rock, hip hop, soul, funk, Americana, country, gospel, electronic, and trap. It features guest vocals from Jack White, the Weeknd, James Blake and Kendrick Lamar, and contains samples and interpolations of a number of hip hop and rock songs.
"Sorry" is a song by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé from her sixth studio album, Lemonade (2016). It was written and produced by Beyoncé, Diana Gordon, and MeLo-X, with Hit-Boy serving as a co-producer and Stuart White as an additional producer. Columbia Records serviced the song to radio stations as the album's second single on May 3, 2016. "Sorry" is an electro-R&B song with a thumping rhythm created by drum beats, synthesizers and bells. The song's lyrics revolve around the protagonist dealing with the betrayal of a partner with another woman.
Lemonade is a 2016 musical film and visual album by American singer Beyoncé, and serves as a visual companion to her 2016 album of the same name. Beyoncé also contributes as a director and executive producer for the film. The film was released on April 23, 2016, premiering on HBO, and bundled with the album on CD/DVD, Tidal and iTunes Store, which released on the same day.
Yemisi Adedoyin Shyllon is a prince of Ake in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. He hails from the Sogbulu and Ogunfayo lineage of the Laarun ruling house of Ake in Egbaland.
Peju Alatise is a Nigerian artist, poet, writer, and a fellow at the National Museum of African Art, part of the Smithsonian Institution. Alatise received formal training as an architect at Ladoke Akintola University in Oyo State, Nigeria. She then went on to work for 20 years as a studio artist.
Ade Abayomi Olufeko, is an American-born designer and technologist primarily active in Lagos, Nigeria. He is known for his international contributions to the humanities, impacting regions like the United States, Africa, Asia, and Europe. His work evolved from direct interactions and collaborations with consortiums, advocacy groups, and artist collectives. He is the founder of Visual Collaborative, an American platform collaborating with diverse experts on socio-economic issues.
Oṣó is the sixth studio album by Nigerian singer Brymo. It was released independently on 27 March 2018. The album was produced entirely by Mikky Me Joses and consists of 11 tracks, including three recorded in the Yoruba language. Oṣó is a mixture of Alternative folk and Yoruba music and has elements of mysticism; it sheds light on Brymo's folk and traditional roots. Oṣó was supported by the singles "Heya!" and "Bá’núsọ". It received critical acclaim from music critics, who complimented its production and Brymo's songwriting. The website Pulse Nigeria and Nigerian Entertainment Today ranked Oṣó second on their list of the best Nigerian albums of 2018.
Black Is King is a 2020 American musical film co-written, executive produced, and directed by Beyoncé. It is a visual companion to the 2019 album The Lion King: The Gift, curated by Beyoncé for the film The Lion King (2019).
Chief Muraina Oyelami is a Nigerian painter and drummer of Yoruba descent. He was among the first generation of artists to come out of the Osogbo School of Art in the 1960s. He was a drummer and actor with the theatre company of Duro Ladipo. He taught traditional music and dance at Obafemi Awolowo University from 1976 to 1987. As a musician, he trained in the dùndún and the Batá drum. He was the chief of his hometown Iragbiji.
{{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)