New London exhibition "Fuji: A Opera" tells the story of Nigeria's fuji music genre

Previously held in Lagos, this multi-dimensional exhibition is now showing at London's Africa Centre. It includes newly unearthed archival footage and artefacts, explores the past of fuji music, highlights its founding footprints, and celebrates its rich subculture from the early 1960s to the present day. The collection is curated by Bobo Omotayo who wanted to create an immersive experience for all the family that provided education about fuji music and Nigerian culture.

“it's an opportunity for us to learn a lot about African culture, it's an opportunity to learn about Nigerian history because you can't tell the story of Fuji without detaching it from those two things. So, it's really an edu-tainment exhibition. It's over four floors, so we're very proud of that. And as you go through there's several installations and opportunities for you to truly immerse yourself.|

The influential power of fuji music was explained by Bobo.

"Over the last sort of five or six decades, it's taken many evolutions. There's been so many players who have created incredible iconic music that have sort of influenced contemporary pop music. And, you know, I don't think there's a better reference to the influence of fuji than what we have now for Afrobeats, because the bedrock of Afrobeats sonically is embedded in fuji."

"Fuji: A Opera" is showing at London's Africa Centre from the 18 – 28 August 2023.