The Art of the Street Corner: Graffiti, Highlife, and the Lagos Scene of the 1980s

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Mr. Sanni offers a colourful deep-dive into the Lagos counter-culture scene during the restrictive military regimes of the 1980s. The interview explores how youth culture—through music, experimental fashion, and graffiti art—created a vital social outlet and a subtle form of protest. He discusses the rise of specific music trends in Surulere and how artists navigated censorship and political tension. This is a crucial record illustrating how creativity flourished despite economic hardship and political rigidity, providing a rich, non-political lens on a significant era.

Storyteller

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The full transcript is rich with cultural context, including specific references to local musicians, venues, and popular slang of the time. Mr. Sanni provides detailed descriptions of the visual aesthetics of the graffiti in specific neighborhoods and explains the coded meanings behind common cultural symbols used by artists and musicians to critique the government. (This field represents the full searchable text for researchers.)

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