Waka Waka: Observations on Contemporary African Life, Culture & Landscapes

Easily one of the most generous and exuberant travel books I’ve ever encountered, Waka Waka was photographed, written and self-published by Nigerian-born multi-hyphenate creative Ernest Danjuma Enebi. Divided into thematic sections such as “Built Heritage” and “Rest & Reflection” rather than by the many and diverse African locales its author traversed during its making, this visually arresting and beautifully designed book takes in everything from cultural identity to street food, sporting occasions, heritage architecture, dressing up for (very) special occasions and hanging out doing a lovely little bit of not much. As Enebi explains in his foreword, “waka waka” is a Nigerian Pidgin phrase that means “roaming around or gallivanting, often without a specific purpose” – and it turns out that as a working principle on which to base the creation of a truly original, inspiring and insightful African travelogue, you couldn’t do much better.