I recently purchased Cheikh-Lo's Lamp Fall album – which is brilliant by the way – and one thing that makes the experience complete is the beautiful album art and design. There are a lot of African albums with great art and design and, whether the artists and designers themselves are African or not, the inspiration clearly is. Here's a celebration of that inspiration with just a sprinkling of some great album covers.
Top: Tumi and the Volume, Pick a Dream and Cesaria Evora, La Dive Aux Pieds Nus
Middle: Letta Mbulu, Letta Mbulu Sings/Free Soul and Rajae, Hand of Fatima
Bottom: Tumi and the Volume, Tumi and the Volume and K'naan, The Dusty Foot Philosopher
Top: Miriam Makeba, The Empress of African Song: Her Essential Recordings and Oumou Sangare, Seya
Middle: Orchestra Baobab, Specialist in all Styles and K'naan, The Dusty Foot Philosopher
Bottom: Fela Ransome-Kuti & His Koola Lobitos, Highlife-Jazz and Afro-Soul and Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté, Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté,
Top: Letta Mbulu, Free Soul and Cesaria Evora, Voz D'Amor
Middle: Cheikh-Lo, Lamp Fall and Orchestra Baobab, Made in Dakar
Bottom: Mafikizola, Kwela and Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté, In the Heart of the Moon.
Top: Mbilia Bel, Bel Canto: Best of the Genidia Years and Tabu Ley Rochereau, The Voice of Lightness
Middle: Fela Ransome Kuti & Africa 70, Expensive Shit and Brenda Fassie, Amadlozi
Bottom: Khaled, Rebel of Rai: The Early Years, Mafikizolo, Sibongile
