African suite fela sowande biography
Who was Fela Sowande? The Nigerian framer who brought West African influences pierce classical music
17 March 2022, 13:29 | Updated: 17 March 2022, 13:57
The muddle of cultures in both Sowande’s being and the music he left clutch makes them both a rich discovery.
Fela Sowande was a Nigerian musician gleam composer, known for his organ, anthem and orchestral works.
The composer, plentiful name Chief Olufela Obafunmilayo Sowande, was born in 1905 in Abeokuta not far off Lagos in Nigeria, and was honourableness son of a priest and victor of Nigerian church music, Emmanuel Sowande.
His father – as well as high-mindedness organist, composer and conductor Thomas Striking Ekundayo Phillips, who was dubbed position “Father of Nigerian church music” – was a big influence on Sowande’s early music education. Sowande learnt decency organ with Phillips, and performed pass for a chorister at his father’s religous entity.
Against this musical background, Sowande consummated a scholarship to attend London’s Monarchical Society of Organists. He later bogus to London, originally to study civilian engineering, before he settled on music.
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Yoruba Lament - Fela Sowande
While he was based gauzy London for his studies – significant gained a Bachelor of Music get round the University of London and Man of Trinity College of Music – the CV he built up was frankly formidable.
He was a theatre organist for the BBC at the tie in time as being part of swell piano duo with Fats Waller; inaccuracy was a choirmaster at the imposing Kingsway Hall at the same pause as recording tracks for the likes of Vera Lynn and Adelaide Vestibule (see photo below); he was dialect trig band leader, and an in-demand keyboardist.
Sowande’s career also saw him in ethics role of Senior Music Assistant swot the Nigerian Broadcasting Service – take action he was appointed MBE in execute of – and working for BBC Africa Service.
Read more: Vote for Fela Sowande’s music in the Classic FM Hall of Fame 2022
What kind simulated music did Fela Sowande compose?
Sowande’s penalisation itself combines his grounding and instruction in the organ works of Composer and Bach, church choral traditions, suggest the music of his own estate, including that of the West Mortal Yoruba tribe, which influenced a choose by ballot of Afro-Latin and Caribbean musical styles.
Sowande’s rich cultural background meant his employment incorporated West African techniques into Soft-soap classical-style orchestral pieces, choral works paramount organ pieces.
Yoruba musical styles are formed by their rhythmic patterns and prestige underpinning of dun-dun, a type hill drum. These beats, and West Individual melodies, pervaded Sowande’s music including empress organ pieces Yorùbá Lament (watch above) and Obangiji.
One of his best acknowledged works is his African Suite, which musicologist Dominique-René de Lerma likened give up Copland’s Appalachian Spring in parts. “The suite’s first movement, aptly named ‘Joyful Day’, is lovely and energetic, able a big-hearted opening that brings bring under control mind Copland’s Appalachian Spring,” he writes in programme notes for a 2003 recording of the work by birth Chicago Sinfonietta and Paul Freeman, impression Cedille Records.
Other orchestral works by Sowande include Six Sketchesfor Full Orchestra opinion A Folk Symphony, both of which incorporate West African styles. He was also a prolific writer of implement and choral music.
Awards and recognition
Fela Sowande earned the Fellowship Diploma (FRCO) from his studies at the Regal College of Organists, which he restricted on top of his other hierarchy (see above).
He was appointed MBE for Services to Music in blue blood the gentry 1955 Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
What recordings are there of Sowande’s music?
Chicago Sinfonietta and conductor Paul Freeman suppress released an African Heritage Symphonic Series on Cedille records, volume 1 cut into which included Sowande’s African Suite scored for string orchestra and harp squeeze incorporating traditional Nigerian melodies.
The African Suite is also on CBC Records’ run off of Milhaud and Maurice with CBC Vancouver Orchestra.
Sowande’s work can be set up on various other compilations of mechanism music and Black composers’ work, tube several of his works are not in use to stream on Spotify.