ABSTRACT
Afro-Beat was coined by Fela Anikulapo-Kuti describing his newfound consciousness associated with his art, to illustrate the struggles of Africana people globally, and to discuss world-altering events of the past and present, such as the African slave trade, the African diaspora, government corruption within his own locality, and the European colonization of black and brown bodies universally. More importantly, Afro-Beat music is one of the first incarnations of what is designated as Pan-African aesthetics. This chapter illustrates the artists’ statements of Pan-African aesthetics that communicate processes of colonization, racism, religion, cultural identity, and cultural tradition, while showing Fela’s evolution of consciousness as a result of Pan-African political and social movements. Similarly Lemi Ghariokwu’s graphic design work gracing the covers of many of Fela’s groundbreaking albums are analyzed, illustrating deeper comprehensive connotations of Pan-African aesthetics employed in visual arts.
