Michael Tubes

Michael Tubes is a documentary photographer whose work focuses on African music, culture, and lived experience. Known for a practice rooted in proximity, trust, and long-term documentation, Tubes captures moments that function as historical record rather than spectacle. He gained recognition for visually chronicling African music movements, such as Afrobeats, during a period of global expansion but limited archival preservation. His work foregrounds the ecosystems behind the music—artists, fans, spaces, and cultural context. Tubes is the founder of the Sounds of Africa Museum, a pioneering institution dedicated to preserving African music history through photography and immersive exhibitions. His work bridges documentary photography, archiving, and exhibition-making, contributing to a durable cultural record shaped from within the communities it represents.