This Artist Is Making the Soundtrack Of The Portuguese Revival
Alexandre Francisco on the creative process and the importance of ancestry featured in his new project, EVMS.
In 2015, Bissau-Guinean and Angolan multimedia artist Alexandre Francisco released Diaphra's Blackbook of the Beats, a debut album that would sell out of physical copies. That album was received well by critics and listeners but never really saw a tour and Diaphra disappeared back into the beats just as quickly as he emerged.
Recently, the Portugal-based artist has resurfaced and he's given OkayAfrica an exclusive download of the B-sides to the sold out Blackbook. The project, called EVMS, is like the rebirth of Diaphra, the blank side of a well-worn page, and gives insight into the mind of the elusive artist.
The multimedia artist is now working on his new project: a series of live, interactive performances around the world called #FolhasBrancas (#WhitePages) culminating in an exhibition in 2020. OkayAfrica caught up with Francisco via Skype to chat about the project, his process and how a residency at the Iwalewahaus University of Bayreuth (and their archive of rare African art) made him want to create a new future.