86th birthday of Uzo Egonu

(Born 25 December 1931, Onicha, Biafra)

One of the African World’s multifaceted and most distinguished painters, his evocative landmark Exodus (1970) captures the devastating aftermath of phase-I of the Igbo genocide, perpetrated by Nigeria and its co-genocidist state Britain, 29 May 1966-4 January 1967, as nearly 2 million Igbo who survive this initial slaughter in the north region and elsewhere in Nigeria stream home before the subsequent phases (II & III: 5 January 1967-5 July 1967, 6 July 1967-12 January 1970, respectively) when the genocidists effect a comprehensive range of land, aerial and naval blockade of Biafra, unprecedented in Africa, and murdering a total of 3 million people therein by 12 January 1970
(Herbert Ekwe-Ekwe)

(For Biafra: ... Uzo Egonu, Exodus [1970])

(Don Cherry Quartet, “Art deco” [personnel: Cherry, pocket trumpet; James Clay, tenor saxophone; Charlie Haden, bass; Billy Higgins, drums; recorded: Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, US, 27/28/30 August 1988])

Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe