I had the honor to participate on Cgafrica's concept art challenge Sango the Last Emperor. I learned a lot working on this and had a lot of fun.
Description:
Shango (Ṣàngó) was a royal ancestor of the Yoruba people in West Africa. (Now largely based in western Nigeria). He was the third king to rule the Oyo empire.

Shango was one of the most powerful rulers of the Yoruba People and is popular for his powerful axe, red robes and beads. His reign was marked with continuous campaigns and many battles. He is considered to have brought prosperity to the Oyo Empire. Shango is described in some oral tradition as one with a voice like thunder and a mouth that spewed fire when he spoke.
Shango’s rule was marked by whimsical use of power! One account asserts that Shango has the ability to spit fire when angry and that he inadvertently caused a thunderstorm and lightning that struck his palace; hence he’s mythically referred to as one who controls lightning.