The Afrobeats scene has not only been a sound or music genre but also deeply inspired by photography and filmmaking – one of the most notable ever.
Even further, the typical Afrobeat fan can be notoriously protective of not only the artiste they support but also their appearance in photos during shows, music videos, at the tiny desks, cover arts and tours as a whole.
What APM World, a Ghanaian-American Creative Director, says he wants to achieve with his role of documenting the Afrobeats scene is so apt for globalizing the sound to the rest of the world.
“The stories are in the eyes of the Artistes. They can’t forget it and therefore as a creative, I can’t hide it,” he explains.
“There is a lot to capture in the heat of the Afrobeat shows and moments,” states APM World, and even looks out for capturing moments which lends credence to his previous experiences.
“An artiste will always leave a story on stage. I have a storyboard of each artiste I work with. And so, before I shoot an artiste, I’m looking at their interviews, their previous shows, and even sometimes, I go through my previous shoots to see what I missed and what I need to amend.”
“My work is not just about picking a camera and being around these celebrities because I’ve put myself in places that strategically got me here,” he clarifies.