Saying that he is a contemporary Renaissance guy wouldn’t be out of place. The most recent movie adaptation of Alice Walker’s well-known book “The Color Purple” was directed by Blitz Bazawule.
Ghanaian-born Bazawule has co-directed a Beyoncé movie, written a book, performed music all around the world, and even broken a record on Netflix.
He is now embracing his most recent project, a musical adaption of Walker’s classic book that will bring to life the stirring and Pulitzer Prize-winning story of a young black woman fighting racism and sexism in America. The film premiered in the U.S. on Christmas Day, according to the BBC.
The Broadway musical that debuted in 2005 and the 1985 film adaption that starred Whoopi Goldberg and earned her a Golden Globe are the sources of inspiration for Bazawule’s Color Purple.
The Atlanta-based artist, Samuel Bazawule, who was born in Accra, Ghana, took on the demanding task of creating a sequel to this well-known cinema classic. But his qualifications, which included a drawing background and a varied artistic experience, made him a good fit for the job.
The film director, who is well-known for his wide range of artistic endeavors, has a strong affinity for jazz, Afrobeat, Motown, and Ghanaian highlife. However, the genre that had the biggest influence on him was hip-hop, particularly Public Enemy’s landmark 1988 album “It Takes a Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back.”
“I had never heard young black people express themselves in that way before,” Bazawule argued.
The young Ghanaian, inspired by Public Enemy, set out on a musical journey after moving away from Accra to attend Kent State University. He moved to New York, the home of hip-hop, after graduating to further his musical career.
Under the alias Blitz the Ambassador, he has put out four studio albums that highlight his rap prowess in Twi, the West African Pidgin language, and English.
In his tracks, Bazawule has worked with well-known African musicians including Nneka, Seun Kuti, and Angelique Kidjo. Chuck D of Public Enemy makes an amazing full-circle appearance on Bazawule’s 2011 album “Native Sun.”
Bazawule eventually utilized the money he received from his performances to produce his highly regarded first feature film, “The Burial of Kojo,” showcasing his versatility as an artist.
“I realized no investor was interested in financing an African film that didn’t revolve around the narrow clichés of war and disease. Self-funding was my only option,” Bazawule wrote on the crowdfunding site Kickstarter, as he attempted to raise more money for post-production.
The story of a little girl’s search for her father, who vanished while working in a gold mine in Ghana, is told in “The Burial of Kojo,” a magical realism film. Filmed in Ghana, the score for the movie was written and performed by Bazawule, who also performed it with a local cast that spoke Twi.
He cited the integration of narrative, visual art, and music as the fundamental components of all creative undertakings when elucidating his choice of the multifarious character of filmmaking. With its 2018 release, the movie displayed Bazawule’s wide range of artistic abilities.