🔅 From Ivorian Graffiti to Nigerian Beats

Africa at Glastonbury & Aboudia's Unstoppable Rise

Photo of the Day

Central Market, Yaoundé — Cameroon

---

Spotlight Stories

From the Streets of Abidjan to the Top of the World: Aboudia's Unstoppable (and nonchalant) Rise

One of Aboudia’s Work.

Aboudia, the graffiti-inspired artist from Ivory Coast, shocked the art world by beating the likes of Damien Hirst and Banksy to become the world's best-selling artist last year. 

While leading online marketplace Artsy called his triumph "striking" and The Guardian reported that market experts were "blindsided," Aboudia himself was unfazed. "Because if you work hard, the success is going to come," he says, with the nonchalance of a man who's been there, done that, and sold a painting or two.

But Aboudia's rise to the top was no overnight success. He's been hustling for 15 years, facing rejection from galleries in Abidjan who told him his work "doesn't make sense" and that he should try his luck in London, New York, or Paris. 

Undeterred, Aboudia kept pushing, even sleeping in his classroom after being kicked out of his home for pursuing his passion.

Painting the Realities of Abidjan

Aboudia's vivid, layered canvases depict the hardships of life in downtown Abidjan, particularly focusing on the children who live and work on the city's streets. 

His eyewitness portrayals of Ivory Coast's 2011 civil war are equally arresting, featuring vacant-eyed figures, armed soldiers, and skulls that crank up the intensity.

While his work is often compared to that of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Aboudia says his main influence is the street children of Abidjan, who "draw their dreams on the world." It's this authenticity and raw emotional power that has captured the attention of art collectors and enthusiasts worldwide.

The African Art Market Boom

Aboudia's success coincides with the rise of the African art market, which saw auction sales value surge by 44% to a record high of $72.4m in 2021. 

While the global art market declined by 18% last year, Africa's only shrank by 8.4%, proving that the continent's art scene is more resilient than a street kid in Abidjan

.

As for Aboudia, he's splitting his time between Ivory Coast and New York, pouring his efforts into the Aboudia Foundation to support the country's children and young artists. 

When asked about his future plans, he answers plainly: "No, I don't have that." He takes things one day at a time—a soothing antidote to over a decade of tenacity that's propelled him to the top of the art world.

---

Glastonbury 2023: Afrobeats Takes Center Stage

Burna Boy — Commons

While Glastonbury's lineup is always a buffet of musical delights, this year's festival is set to be even more lit than usual, thanks to the inclusion of Nigerian superstars Burna Boy and Tems.

These Afrobeats sensations will be bringing their infectious beats and swagger to the grounds of Worthy Farm, proving once and for all that Africa is where it's at when it comes to cutting-edge music.

Burna Boy, fresh off his Grammy win for Best Global Music Album, is sure to set the stage on fire with his electrifying live performances. Known for his genre-bending sound, the self-proclaimed "African Giant" is hoping to win over even more fans at Glastonbury. 

And let's not forget about Tems, the rising star whose silky smooth vocals and mesmerising stage presence have already earned her a devoted following around the world.

A Cultural Collision of Epic Proportions

With Burna Boy and Tems on the bill, Glastonbury is sending a clear message: Afrobeats has arrived, and it's here to stay. 

The inclusion of these Nigerian stars is proof to the growing global influence of African music. For too long, the world has slept on the incredible talent coming out of the continent, but now, thanks to trailblazers like Burna Boy and Tems, that's all about to change.

Glastonbury — Photo by Joe Green

Imagine the scene: thousands of festival-goers, from all walks of life, grooving to the irresistible rhythms of Afrobeats under the English sky. 

It's a cultural collision of epic proportions, and one that could go down in Glastonbury history. 

Who knows, maybe we'll even see some of the other headliners, like Dua Lipa or Coldplay, joining in on the fun and busting out some Nigerian dance moves. Stranger things have happened at Glastonbury, after all.

---

Food for Thought

“Better little than too little."

— Cameroonian Proverb