CD artwork sometimes just displays the lyrics to the songs, but sometimes it can help be part of the story the album tells. Designed by Oeste, Galanga Chico Rei by Mauricio Tizumba uses a unique technique and choice imagery to portray the life of Galanga Chico Rei himself.
“The design of the CD reflects the strength and the struggle of a black Brazilian hero. The graphic design developed portrays the life of Galanga Chico Rei: his slavery, his fight for freedom and the construction of his reign. The biography has water as a striking element and the design of the cd, using the graphics represent: the sea that separates the hero of its land and the waters where the slave ship sailed until arriving in Brazil; the sweat from the skin in the mines of gold exploration; the water used as camp technique by using ‘bateias,’ the Galanga’s path to freedom.”
“The technique of oil paint and water was chosen for the design artwork, so they could use water as an array. In this way, conceptually, the graphics are a portrait of water. The chromatic choice enhances the plot and emphasizes the central elements of the narrative: blue for the sea; black for suffering; gold for wealth and the gold itself. The type design developed, exclusively, as a graphic brand of the project was inspired in African geometric prints and results in a great quality aesthetic design.”
The design for the album combines elements in just the right way, helping the consumer to follow a particular journey and not miss any of it. The oil paint and water technique makes the inner pamphlet almost look like a map and the white space appear to be continents. The color choices are representative of Galanga Chico Rei’s life and work, and the gold especially makes certain parts stand out (like the text, for example). A geometric and unusual font is used, giving the album a more striking appearance.
