Afrobeats and modernism: how the concrete ‘ruins’ of Lagos become a stage
We explore the relationship between Afrobeats and modernism in Lagos, as the Nigerian capital’s concrete structures become a stage for the music genre
![National Theatre, Lagos has become a stage set for the relationship of afrobeats and modernism](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ihKkoqNVkvMDpVNSg9chbi-415-80.jpg)
In the mid to late 1950s, the wave of independence swept across West Africa, and along with it, a search for new meaning for its freshly created nation-states. At the same time, in the region’s built environment, modernist architecture took root, reinterpreted to adapt to the climate; and by the 1960s, it had become the poster image of independence and Pan-Africanism (as discussed in London’s V&A's recently opened exhibition 'Tropical Modernism: Architecture and Independence').
Simultaneously, musical expression was at an all-time high, especially with the introduction of a new genre of music, Afrobeat, which, like tropical modernism, synthesised foreign influences into a new cohesive and contextual whole. Its purveyor, Fela Kuti, was of Nigerian descent. His style crystallised in musical form a zeitgeist in the region, melding infectious percussion and wind instruments with critical social and political commentary.
National Theatre, Lagos
Afrobeats and modernism: a parallel history
In this context, tropical modernism came to be identified as a tool of power, and among those leading this charge was politician Kwame Nkrumah, the first prime minister of Ghana, who saw architecture as an image-making tool that could become a beacon for a free Africa.
At the same time, in Nigeria, military rule meant that many of the bigger commissioned buildings became sites of immense corruption, eventually suffering from arson and mismanagement. To this day, some remain abandoned. While architecture stood as a political tool of liberation, music through Fela’s Afrobeat stood as a check and a voice of the many against the few who had seized power. Contextually, these two art forms became linked as elements of representation while opposing each other.
Trade Fair Complex, Lagos
Still, there are hardly any explicit and official links between local music and the regional form that modernism took in Nigeria – unlike the 'musique concrète' and its spatial expressions of IIannis Xenakis in his well-documented Philips Pavilion (in collaboration with Le Corbusier).
Instead, a relationship seems to be brewing retrospectively between these now largely abandoned concrete structures and Afrobeats, a sub-culture and genre that evolved from Afrobeat, with the former becoming a site for reclamation and artistic expression. Once symbols of a newly liberated country, modernist buildings are now being transformed into a stage, and sets for creativity, used especially by some of Afrobeats' biggest contemporary stars, offering appealing visual backdrops for the pictures their music videos paint.
Trade Fair Complex, Lagos
The Trade Fair Complex (1977), designed by Yugoslav architect Zoran Bojovic as part of Energoprojekt's mission in Nigeria, and the National Theatre (1976), designed and built by Techno Expostroy, a Bulgarian construction firm, were erected under military rule and to coincide with the Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) in 1977.
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
The National Theatre featured on stage in a Grammy performance by award-winning Nigerian singer and songwriter Burna Boy. The building's stained glass murals highlighted in the performance were done by a collection of artists, including Yusuf Grillo and Erahbor Emokpae. The latter worked closely with the architects and was commissioned to make the friezes that adorn the lower parapet of the theatre.
Trade Fair Complex, Lagos
Burna Boy's 2021 Grammy set's connection with the ill-kept building couldn't have been more timely, as the following year plans were hastened to renovate the structure (a restoration that remains ongoing).
The theatre is also a backdrop in Nigerian musician Wizkid’s video for his single ‘IDK’. The performance here is set against civic and cultural infrastructure. Although no official links were made public between the song and its setting, it hints that these buildings retain greater value in their current state than the new architecture springing up in the country today.
Barclays Bank in Lagos
Meanwhile, the Trade Fair Complex with its intricately welded bronze-plated screen has been featured in videos by Burna Boy, Humblesmith, and Prettyboy D-O.
The rooftop of the Old Barclays Bank building and the Shell building in Lagos, designed by Walker, Harwood and Cranswick, and Design Group Nigeria, respectively, have also played host to a plethora of artists seeking the incredible concrete architecture of Lagos Marina and its impressive brise-soleils for their backdrop to craft a sense place. Through these acts, the artists reclaim these sites from abandonment and activate them, setting a precedent and a call to action.
Barclays Bank in Lagos
In Nigeria, many examples of this regional modernism lay abandoned; at the same time, it is currently arguably a big export from the country in architectural terms, with the world looking to once again learn from the climate-conscious solutions of this style. Afrobeats is equally a local genre with worldwide appeal and a significant export in the music world.
Through Afrobeats, a case is being made, albeit latent, for what is worth preserving while simultaneously questioning predetermined and alternative uses that these buildings may have today. Lagos is filled with such examples, many of which sadly, face demolition threats. Artists' activations pose the question: might these sites be catalysts for cultural development, especially given their long history and collaboration with the creatives that birthed them?
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
The Mercury Prize nominees for 2024 have been revealed
Charli XCX, The Last Dinner Party and Beth Gibbons are amongst this year's nominees
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
The newest Centre Point Residences’ showcase is a masterful balance of art and furniture
Conran and Partners’ new apartment design for Centre Point Residences balances artwork and curated furniture and objects to craft a space that feels intimate yet luxurious
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Frank Lloyd Wright architecture: from Prairie House to Guggenheim New York
Frank Lloyd Wright, hailed among the 20th century's greatest architects, has left a rich legacy that inspires to this day; here, we invite you to dive into his world
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
The John Randle Centre ‘rises from the earth in a nod to Yoruba spirituality’
The John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History is an urban regeneration project at the heart of Lagos Island, designed by Studio Imagine Simply Architecture
By Shawn Adams Published
-
John Lautner’s Sheats-Goldstein Residence shows off its estate’s entertainment wing
The Goldstein Entertainment Complex at the estate of the Sheats-Goldstein Residence reveals its newest additions by the complex’s architects of record Conner + Perry Architects
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
We tour Caracas’ treasure trove of modernist architecture gems
Explore Caracas; the Venezuelan capital is full of midcentury modern and brutalist architecture with a tropical twist
By Adam Štěch Published
-
Modernist architecture: inspiration from across the globe
Modernist architecture has had a tremendous influence on today’s built environment, making these midcentury marvels some of the most closely studied 20th-century buildings; here, we explore the genre by continent
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Louis Kahn's modernist mastermind celebrated through new collaborations
The legacy of modernist architect Louis Kahn lives on to inspire a new generation, thanks to collaborations with family and fans
By Marina Cashdan Published
-
Royan Architecture Month showcases French modernism by the sea
Royan Architecture Month 2024 launches in the French city, where many travel to see midcentury builds by the sea, from Notre Dame church to Palais des Congrès
By Stacy Suaya Published