Lagos Photographer Featured on Fela Kuti Vinyl Reissue

A Lagos photographer's vision is bringing one of Africa's most iconic albums back to its roots.

Bolaji Alonge's photographs of the New Afrika Shrine in Lagos will appear on a special vinyl edition of Fela Kuti's "Zombie," connecting the revolutionary 1976 album directly to the Nigerian city where it was born. American designer Tremaine Emory selected Alonge's work for the project, blending it with elements from the original cover art by Nigerian artist Lemi Ghariokwu.

Only 1,000 copies will be pressed when the album releases on October 9. They'll be available through Dover Street Market in London, Turntable Lab in the United States, and online stores for Partisan Records and Fela Kuti's estate.

Alonge has spent years documenting Lagos through his project "Eyes of a Lagos Boy," capturing the city's energy, culture, and connection to Afrobeat's legacy. His photographs of the New Afrika Shrine show the contemporary venue where Fela's musical and political legacy lives on today.

The original Afrika Shrine was where Fela built his reputation as both a musician and fearless critic of Nigeria's military government. "Zombie," with its scathing criticism of soldiers who blindly followed orders, angered authorities so much that they attacked Fela's Kalakuta Republic compound in 1977, leading to his mother's death.

The Ripple Effect

This collaboration shows how one photographer's dedication to documenting his city can connect generations. Alonge's contemporary Lagos images now sit alongside Ghariokwu's original artwork, creating a visual conversation between 1976 and today.

The timing feels especially meaningful as Fela's global influence continues growing. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021 and received the Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award this year.

For Alonge, seeing his Lagos photographs on an album that shaped African music history adds another chapter to his ongoing work capturing the city's cultural heartbeat. His images will travel the world on a physical piece of music history, carrying Lagos's present-day spirit with them.

A Lagos story, photographed in Lagos, now preserved on one of Lagos's most important musical exports.