Video
Damola Durosomo
Nov. 17, 2016 08:18PM EST

Eli Fola's 'Tech Afrique' Music Video Will Leave You Full of 'Wonders'

DJ, Saxophonist and producer, Eli Fola, shares his latest music video for "Wonders" from his 'The Platform" EP, directed by J.Perez.

Brooklyn-based, Nigerian artist Eli Fola is a multi-instrumentalist in every sense of the word.

Earlier this year, the DJ, producer and saxophonist, told us that he developed his musical abilities after joining the children’s choir at his church in Nigeria when he was nine-years-old. The young artist picked up “local African drums, congas, and piano, before eventually settling on the saxophone.”

Fola’s latest clip for “Wonders”—the fourth video from his debut EP The Platform—is a vibrant showcase of the artist’s various musical skills.

The music video, directed by J. Perez, features the musician playing both the saxophone and drum machine against a minimal, black-and-white backdrop before animated splashes of color appear and dance along the song’s atmospheric beat.

“The project was inspired by my love for house and techno music which gave birth to my sound known as Tech Afrique” the artist tells Okayafrica.

Tech Afrique is also the name of the producer’s record label and event company, which hosts The Communion, a monthly music and arts event in Brooklyn. Previous shows have featured the work of visual artist Laolu Senbanjo, among others. The next gathering happens on November 19.

Check the visuals for “Wonders” and stream The Platform EP above.

News
Image via TONL.

Uganda Has Lost Millions of Internet Users as a Result of Its Controversial Social Media Tax

The infamous tax is effectually driving Ugandans off the internet.

The number of internet users in Uganda has declined significantly since the implementation of the highly-criticized tax on social media, which went into effect in July of last year.

While the government claimed that the tax would assist in raising government revenue and help "maintain the security of the country and extend electricity so that you people can enjoy more of social media, more often, more frequently," said Uganda's Finance Minister Matia Kasaija at the time. President Museveni also suggested that the tax would help "curb gossip" online.

Keep reading... Show less
popular
Cover art for Riky Rick's "You and I"

The 14 Songs You Need to Hear This Week

Featuring Riky Rick, Mr Eazi, Moonchild Sanelly, Burna Boy, Blinky Bill, Niniola and more.

Every week, we highlight the cream of the crop in music through our Best Music of the Week column.

Here's our round up of the best tracks and music videos that came across our desks, which you can also check out in our Songs You Need to Hear This Week playlists on Spotify and Apple Music.

Follow OkayAfrica on Spotify and Apple Music to get immediate updates every week and read about some of our selections ahead.

Keep reading... Show less
Literature
Image courtesy of Doubleday.

Oyinkan Braithwaite's 'My Sister the Serial Killer' Is the Lagos-Set Novel Rocking the Crime Thriller Genre

We speak with the Nigerian author about the success of her debut novel, and breaking the boundaries of "African Lit."

"I have always been drawn to dark topics," says Oyinkan Braithwaite, the 30-year-old Nigerian author behind the critical darling of a novel My Sister, the Serial Killer.

Her declaration helps explain the subject and title of her debut novel, which tells the story of Ayoola, a young woman who has developed a not-so-healthy habit of murdering her boyfriends, leaving her older sister, the book's protagonist, Korede to clean up her mess. You may have noticed it's ubiquitous cover—which features a young black woman wearing a headwrap, casually looking on as a knife-wielding hands is reflected in her sunglasses—on your timeline or at your local store. The internationally-released, Nigerian-made novel sits confidently on retail shelves previously reserved for mass-market thrillers.

The dark and humorous, Lagos-set novel is extreme—but not just because of all the murdering that happens. It also examines the extreme nature of the many things that can push people to the edge. For the sisters, it's: intergenerational trauma, abuse, the prevalence of a culture that rewards beauty above all else, as well as having to battle with their own personal shortcomings—just to name a few.

Keep reading... Show less

get okayafrica in your inbox

news.

popular.