Profile: Fela Sowande

[funmilayo]

Fela Sowande

Sowande was born in Lagos , Nigeria . His father, Emanuel Sowande, was
an Anglican priest, musician and music professor. His family was part
of the Egba ethnic group. Fela moved with his father to Lagos as a
child, and began studying music there. His main instrument was the
organ and he gave many popular recitals on that instrument throughout
his life. He lived much of his adult life in the United Kingdom and
the United States serving as a music director and teacher. He died in
Ravenna, Ohio in the United States and is buried in nearby Randolph .

Felá Sówándé is considered as the father of modern Nigerian Art Music
and is perhaps the most internationally known African composer of
works in the European 'classical' idiom. He was born in Lagos and son
of a priest and pioneer of Nigerian church music. The influence of his
father and Dr T.K. Ekundayo Phillips (composer, organist and
choirmaster) was an important factor in his early years. At that time,
he was a chorister and was introduced to new Yorùbá works being
introduced into the churches. During that period, he studied organ
under Phillips; this included works by Bach and European classical
masters. At that time, he was also a bandleader, playing jazz and
popular - 'highlife' music. All of these had considerable influence on
his work.

In 1934 he went to London to study European classical and popular
music. In 1936, he was solo pianist in a performance of George
Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. He also played as duo-pianist with Fats
Waller, and was theatre organist for the BBC as organist and
Choirmaster at Kingsway Hall (unfortunately recently demolished)
London and as pianist in the 1936 production of Blackbirds. He also
played organ in some recordings by Dame Vera Lyn. Later, he studied
organ under George Oldroyd and George Cunningham and became a fellow
of the Royal College of Organists (with credit) in 1943.

His orchestral works include Six Sketches for Full Orchestra, A Folk
Symphony, and African Suite for Strings and show African rhythmic and
harmonic characteristics. He has also written a significant number of
secular and sacred choral music, mainly a cappella. Some of these were
composed during his period with the BBC Africa Service. He went back
to Africa to scholarly work with the Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation
and later Ibadan University. From there, he moved to Howard
University, Washington then the University of Pittsburgh. There is
currently a move to set up a centre to research and promote Felá
Sówándé works, many remain unpublished or out of print.

www.indigokafe.com
www.cafeafricana.com

[Rex Marinus]

I think it should be added that the first Music School in Nigeria at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka established in 1960, is named after Fela Sowande: it is the Fela Sowande Music School of the University of Nigeria, in recognition of the pioneering role and accomplishment of this great man.
Obi Nwakanma

_____________________
"If I don't learn to shut my mouth I'll soon go to hell,
I, Okigbo, town-crier, together with my iron bell."
--Christopher Okigbo


> Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:04:09 -0700
> Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Profile: Fela Sowande
> From: cafeaf...@gmail.com
> To: USAAfric...@googlegroups.com