The Lagos ‘street’ landscape is a cacophony of different sensory stimuli that has morphed into its own cultural identity, and is now being transported through music, fashion and art, across the world. As loud as Lagos is though, you only appreciate the beauty behind the madness when you take the time to pay attention to the rhythm and grind.
Although Lagos is being touted as the next megacity in Africa, which immediately brings to mind images of skyscrapers and bullet trains, the real cultural ‘juice’ of Lagos exists on the other side of the coin – the frames that do not make it to the new Nollywood movies or the metropolitan city video backdrops.
The pulse of Lagos exists in the grime and grind of the streets. A decade or two ago, it may have been easier to act obtuse about that side of Lagos. But now, the story of Lagos cannot be properly told if you haven’t mentioned words like Computer Village, Fela Shrine, Balogun Market, Lagos Island, Fatai Rolling Dollar, Palm Wine, Owambe, Fuji music and the rest. The many facets that have contributed to a thriving underground scene that is quickly taking its turn in the spotlight.
These street elements now form the heart of tech, trade, art and music in Lagos, and by extension West Africa. It’s the reason why Computer Village in Ikeja, is the burgeoning Silicon Valley that Africa has not fully realised it needs.
It’s the same reason acts like oddly popular Azeez ‘Naira Marley’ Adeshina Fashola, Omoniyi ‘Zlatan Ibile’ Temidayo Raphael, and songs like Wizkid’s ‘Ojuelegba’, Naira Marley’s ‘Soapy’, Flavour’s ‘Ada Ada’, Patoranking’s ‘Abule’ are catapulting the streets to international acclaim, while developing a cult-like movement.
Why? The street calls unto street. Whether it’s through well-placed slangs, or tech-savvy learnt by hard knocks and banter – it’s a language that is well understood and that millions of people who have been knocked down by the economic instability, rise in employment rates, poverty, hunger, etc can relate with. It’s also the same language the bourgeois wish they understood and are desperately attempting to. A some-what win from both ends.
So, mapping these streets and its people is chronicling culture. While the wave of recognition is causing more people to look up and seek ways to explore the untapped potential that lies in the streets, we are still a long way from understanding the full extent of the street.
The next decade will show us just that. And those individuals and initiatives who can rise up and act as a bridge between the ‘street’ and the opportunities that they seek, may well be on their way to tapping into a new source of influence – passionate, raw and real just like its advocates.
The great news is that because art has always been the great keeper and protector of history, we can be rest assured that Lagos street culture will not become eroded.