In 1974, Lemi Ghariokwu was an 18-year-old engineering student making some extra money with his art. His portrait of Bruce Lee from Enter the Dragon in a bar was spotted by a journalist who introduced him to Afrobeat music legend Fela Kuti, leading to a years-long collaboration, with Ghariokwu doing the album covers during Kuti’s most prolific period.
The original portrait is long gone but in 2004 Ghariokwu did a quick ballpoint sketch recreating it, to celebrate his 30th anniversary as an artist.
More on Ghariokwu’s collaboration with Fela Kuti, who IMHO was a real-life action hero taking on a militarist government, and is finally being recognized by the RIAA this year with a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Grammy (CW: murder):
Image source: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz5SPshFDFd/
In 1974 I painted my version of Bruce Lee’s poster for the film Enter The Dragon for a local bar owner in Lagos. At the same period I painted my own version of Fela Kuti’s Roforofo Fight album cover as practice and honing of my skill. Babatunde Harrison of Sunday Punch saw both artworks, so elated he introduced me to Fela Kuti without prompting. I realised my destiny and purpose in this journey called life. This Bruce Lee sketch was to celebrate 30 years of my career then in 2004. In the UK, Raymund Dumas, a film maker gave me a ball pen and Bruce’s picture to sketch in 5 minutes right on camera!!!
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