Ntone Edjabe on FESTAC '77 and Chimurenga's Pan-African Research
Ntone Edjabe, the founder of Chimurenga, shared insights during a 2019 discussion as part of Afterall's Exhibition Histories initiative. He highlighted the significance of FESTAC '77, a pivotal event in Lagos celebrating Black and African artistic cultures. Edjabe explored imaginative scenarios, such as a fictional encounter between Sun Ra and Fela Kuti, and drew from works by notable figures like Keorapetse Kgotsitsile and Jonas Gwangwa. He also touched on Miriam Makeba's involvement and the contentious loan request for the Queen Idia mask. The extensive FESTAC archive, predominantly audio and encompassing over 40 albums, reflects the festival's role in post-colonial history.
Key facts
- Interview published 20 April 2019 as part of Afterall's Exhibition Histories series.
- Chimurenga was founded by Ntone Edjabe in 2002.
- FESTAC '77 was held in Lagos, Nigeria in 1977.
- The mask of Queen Idia, held at the British Museum, was requested for FESTAC but only offered as a loan; replicas were used.
- Over 40 albums by African musicians document FESTAC.
- Chimurenga Library first installed at Cape Town Central Library in 2009.
- Other Pan-African festivals: Dakar 1966, Algiers 1969, Kinshasa 1974.
- Edjabe cites Andrew Apter's book as the only full-length analysis of FESTAC.
Entities
Artists
- Ntone Edjabe
- David Morris
- Sun Ra
- Fela Kuti
- Keorapetse Kgotsitsile
- Jonas Gwangwa
- Miriam Makeba
- Akin Adesokan
- Dominique Malaquais
- Wole Soyinka
- Chinua Achebe
- Andrew Apter
- Amadou Hampate Ba
- Alain Mabanckou
- Mark Gevisser
- Thabo Mbeki
- Tsietsi Mashinini
- Stokely Carmichael
- Nina Simone
- Léopold Senghor
- Frantz Fanon
- Julius Nyerere
- Allioune Diop
- Carlos Moore
- Wendell Marsh
- Tracey Rose
- Jean-Pierre Bekolo
- Sean O'Toole
- Jayne Cortez
- Audre Lorde
- J.D. Okhai Ojeikere
- Marylin Nance
- Akinbode Adebiyi
- Archie Shepp
- Mobutu Sese Seko
- Édouard Glissant
- Fred Moten
- Pastor Chris Okafor
- Pierre Verge
Institutions
- Chimurenga
- Afterall
- Pan-African Space Station (PASS)
- Chimurenga Library
- Cape Town Central Library
- The Showroom (London)
- Sharjah Biennial
- University of Cape Town
- British Museum
- Anti-Humboldt Forum
- Raw Material Company
- Asia Art Archive
- Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College
- Organisation of African Unity (OAU)
- African National Congress (ANC)
- Pan Africanist Congress (PAC)
- Black Consciousness Movement (BCM)
- Soweto Students Representative Council (SSRC)
- UNESCO
Locations
- Cape Town
- South Africa
- Lagos
- Nigeria
- Dakar
- Senegal
- Algiers
- Algeria
- Kinshasa
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Dar es Salaam
- Tanzania
- Guinea
- United States
- Brazil
- Haiti
- Egypt
- London
- United Kingdom
- San Francisco
- Berlin
- Germany
- Manchester
Sources
- Afterall —