Alexis Chabala Photographer
At the age of 5 Alexis moved from Congo with his parents to France, finally settling in Belgium by the time he was 14. He studied fine art & photography in Brussels before moving to London to focus on building his career as a photographer. Over the past 10 years Alexis has worked internationally across all areas of photography, from fashion and still life to architecture and landscape. Together with his commercial and editorial assignments for clients such as Bulgari, GQ, Tatler, and Luxure Magazine, his main focus is portraiture.
Alexis has photographed over 150 musicians specifically for The Influence Project, refining his work through the creative freedom of its unique platform giving the portraiture and film their strong visual look. After 7 years as project photographer, Alexis has shifted his focus to concentrate on his personal work and first solo exhibition, The Hawthorne Effect, Willesden Gallery, London (2022). Together with Still I Rise, a continuation of The Influence Project series celebrating pioneering Black women.
Lorayne Crawford Producer and Curator
Driven by a passion for music since childhood, Lorayne has over 15 years’ experience working in the music industry. Prior to this she studied film and photography in London and worked on major television projects such as Channel 4’s Power into Art which followed the conversion of London’s Bankside Power Station into the Tate Modern, and a PBS documentary series following the construction of the International Space Station.
Since 2014 Lorayne has brought the many different strands of her work together to create The Influence Project. She wrote and produced the project film and produced over 100 photoshoots during this time. She is responsible for the project's creative direction, together with curating The Influence Project exhibitions.
Alongside The Influence Project, Lorayne is currently developing a series of documentary films and collaborating on various creative projects.
Phil Cox Director BETTY - THEY SAY I’M DIFFERENT
Phil Cox is an award-winning filmmaker based in London. In 1998 he established independent film production company Native Voice Films, and has since worked as a writer, director and cinematographer of award-winning broadcast and indie feature documentaries. His films have premiered at Sundance, Berlin, and Toronto film festivals, and he has been awarded the British Grierson Award for international feature documentary and a Rory Peck Award for his work covering conflict in Sudan.
Phil’s feature documentary BETTY -THEY SAY I’M DIFFERENT is an intimate portrait of funk queen Betty Davis, the first Black female recording artist to perform and write all her own music and manage herself. And whose extreme performances saw her banned from U.S. radio and tv networks. Hailed now as a feminist pioneer, the reclusive former wife of Miles Davis has inspired artists such as Beyoncé, Janelle Monae, OutKast and Madonna. Phil generously allowed us to include BETTY - THEY SAY I’M DIFFERENT in The Influence Project to highlight Betty’s legacy, influence and hidden musical history.
Alex Gibney Director Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney is considered to be one of the most important documentarians of our time. Known for his compelling and insightful documentaries, he has won multiple awards during his prolific career including the Oscar for Best Feature Documentary for Taxi to the Dark Side (2008), 3 Emmy awards and a Peabody Award for his 2015 film, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, one of the most watched documentaries in HBO’s history. Together with the International Documentary Association’s Career Achievement Award in 2013 and the first ever Christopher Hitchens Prize in 2015.
He received a Peabody Award and a Grammy nomination for Best Music Film in 2015 for Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown. The film chronicles the evolution and success of the funk pioneer whose dynamic influence transformed both music and American culture. Alex Gibney generously lent this important film to The Influence Project for the 2020 exhibition at Midlands Arts Centre (MAC).
Nadav Poraz WhoSampled
Software engineer, producer, DJ, and music aficionado Nadav Poraz came up with the concept for WhoSampled through a passion for music and necessity as a user. Initially inspired by electronic music and by discovering P-Funk via G-Funk in the 1990’s, Nadav launched WhoSampled in 2008 as a way to track musical samples and covers. Now with over 1 million users, the site exploring musical DNA contains the world's most comprehensive, detailed, and accurate database of samples, cover songs and remixes.
WhoSampled has been an invaluable tool for research since The Influence Project conception in 2014. Nadav generously allowed us to include his website in the project to help highlight and navigate the musical connections within it.
Kwinten Crauwels Musicmap
Music lover and architect Kwinten Crauwels began building Musicmap as a hobby in a process that took him over 8 years. Frustrated he couldn’t find a website that offered a comprehensive map of musical history, he decided to create his own visual encyclopaedia tracing the development of popular music from the late 19th century through to the present day. Kwinten kindly allowed us to include Musicmap in The Influence Project for the exhibition at Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) Birmingham, in 2020. Its extensive and interactive genealogy helping visitors to visualise musical connections and discover new music.
Jon Daniel (1966 - 2017) Independent Creative Director, Artist and Activist
Jon Daniel was an award-winning creative director and pivotal player in capturing the essence of Black British struggle and empowerment through his art. He created brand identities for organisations such as the Black Cultural Archives and Black History Month, which won him a RIMA Award in 2003, and spent 20 years designing campaigns for Operation Black Vote (OBV) helping to mobilise Black British voters. Jon campaigned tirelessly for diversity within the creative industries, establishing a regular column for Design Week in 2013 highlighting the work of artists from the African diaspora, along with creating his own series of Afro Supa® Hero’s to accompany his popular exhibitions at London’s V&A Museum of Childhood and the International Slavery Museum, Liverpool.
Jon's life-long love of Parliament-Funkadelic lead him to create the album artwork celebrating P-Funk’s 2015 live performances at Metropolis Studios London and the 40th anniversary of Parliament's Chocolate City LP. Through this funky connection, Jon became a cherished friend of The Influence Project, designing the project's stunning artwork and branding.
Thank You to the following most generous Spirits who have contributed and supported the project … it would not have been possible without you!
Valentina Creti, Neusa Neves, Pascale Poma, Christine Lucignano, Martina Luisetti, Ernesto Montenovo, Yiannis Mouzakitis, Nicholas & Johnny, Louise Adamson, Jo Lothian, Savina Gerrinck, Quentin Gerrinck, GQ Enterprise, Ellie Newton, Sam Harvey, Monique Penne, Scarlet Crawford-Holder, Gary Holder, André Chabala, Catherine Gregoire, Koenraad Vandommele, Jean-François Chabala, Lois Acton, Jon Daniel, Jane Daniel, Steve Martin, Vicky & Tom Smalley, Shaun Crist, Emmanuelle Fournier-Kelly, John Kelly, Evelyn Hodel-Makins, Mandy Bardouille, Marcia Scott, Jules Dominique, Rachel Miller, George Clinton, Carlon Thomson-Clinton, Charlotte and Pee Wee Ellis, Soweto Kinch, Debbie Sledge, Joni Sledge, Lalah Hathaway, Steph Thom, Erykah Badu, Michael Knight, Barrie K Sharpe, Omar Lye Fook, Little Simz, Bill Curtis, Fatback Band, Marret de Boer, Sun Ra Arkestra, Simon Bartholemew, Soweto Kinch, Femi Fem, Carol Ware, Leon Ware, Ayana Ayers, Roy Ayers, Joss Smith, Claire Cutts and Joe Clark at V21 Artspace, Deborah Kermode and Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Jonathan Reekie, Ceri Hand and Somerset House, Deborah Klochko, Joaquin Ortiz and the Museum of Photographic Arts (MOPA), Ian Whitmore, Georgia Newman and Quay Arts, Thomas Fraser-Bacon, Ray's Glass & Frames Ltd, Allsee Technologies, C3 Midlands, Native Voice Films, Jigsaw Productions, Kew Media Group, Tru Thoughts, Sony Music, Arts Council England.
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