So other than legalized prostitution and marijuana use (and clogs and windmills), Amsterdam is also known for its bikes. Ah yes, guess what I ended up taking a LOT of photos of? I think part of the attraction to taking photos of bikes is that in some ways, they seem to be more alive than not. Kind of like they're an extension of urban life in their natural habitat. They're everywhere in Amsterdam, and I couldn't help but be fascinated by where they were left.
Actually, I've been back in the states just under month though... Enjoy the last few photos of Nigeria. On my way back home, I stopped off in Amsterdam for a week. Photos coming soon!
This was actually taken on the grounds of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU). The boundaries of the university literally are "as far as the eye can see."
Think it's about to rain?
Sunset in the compound.
Ah, nostalgia. I miss Nigeria, but then again I like my clean, running tap water, 24 hours of electricity, and football on tv, hah!
So one of the best things about traveling to other countries is enjoying the culture, a fun part of which is listening to the latest tunes. Nigeria without a doubt has some of the best hip-hop sounds in Africa. You can hear the influence of Bollywood, American rap/hip-hop all blended together with Nigerian flavor added in. It wouldn't surprise me to hear some of these artists get airplay in the states in the not too distant future.
Unfortunately, I never had a chance to see any of these acts in person. But there were plenty of stalls everywhere selling CDs. Some were of the bootleg "mix" variety that had the latest Nigerian/American tunes crammed onto a single disc...
2Face is probably my favorite Nigerian artist. He gets constant airplay at the bars/clubs with good reason, he's fantastic. Another member of a group that 2Face previously belonged to, Faze, is also great.
Then there are some second tier artists. I think I bought these CDs 'cause the photos on front were hysterically funny. I'm not too sure what image these guys are trying to cultivate, but N'Sync and the Backstreet Boys come to mind. Luckily for them, their music sounds slightly better. CD "shops" tended to be no more than a wooden shack jammed floor to ceiling with CDs. Usually they have huge boom boxes blaring out in front to attract costumers. Put a dozen or so of these shacks in a row and you get a weird mix of Nigerian hip-hop blasting.
In one of these shacks, I asked the seller for some old school Nigerian music, something his parents would listen to. He went digging through his boxes and found some golden oldies, and they turned out to be uber-fantastic. He played some of them on his boombox and actually started to close his eyes, singing along and grooving to the tunes. A crowd heard the "unusual" tunes blaring from the shack and actually gathered to watch the spectacle. It's not every day someone, let alone a foreigner, comes along and asks for the oldies, hah! At any rate, here are some more clips, enjoy Okonkwo, Perricomo, and Sonny Bobo (and is it me, or does Okonkwo- the first guy, look like the Nigerian version of Nat King Cole?). Enjoy!
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