Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Nigerian Academy of Letters Admits Fela Sowande (1905-1987), Composer & Organist


[The Organ Works of Fela Sowande: A Cultural Perspective; Godwin Sadoh, D.M.A.]

August 24, 2010
“Twenty eight leading lights of science and letters in Nigeria will on October 9th be inducted to The Nigerian Hall of Fame for Science and The Nigerian Hall of Fame for Letters at a prestigious gala held by Nigeria LNG Limited, The Nigerian Academy of Science and The Nigerian Academy of Letters. They will be honoured for outstanding contribution to science and letters which has put Nigeria on the world literary and scientific map, promoted learning and scholarship and bettered the lives of Nigerians.

Fela Sowande (1905-1987) is admitted in recognition of his contribution of modernization of Nigerian music and introduction of the Nigerian idiom into symphonic music.”

Fela Sowande is profiled at AfriClassical.com:
The African composer Olufela Sowande was born in Oyo, Nigeria on May 29, 1905. Bode Omojola, Ph.D., chronicles his life and career in the 1995 book, Nigerian Art Music, in which he observes: “Fela Sowande is undoubtedly the father of modern Nigerian Art Music and perhaps the most distinguished and internationally known African composer. The most significant pioneer-composer of works in the European classical idiom, his works mark the beginning of an era of modern Nigerian Art Music.”

Fela's father was Emmanuel Sowande, an Anglican priest of Egba descent who helped establish Nigerian church music in the early 20th century. The elder Sowande taught at St. Andrew's College, a missionary institute in Nigeria which trained young people to become teachers. Emmanuel Sowande was subsequently transferred to Lagos, and young Fela accompanied him there. Fela's father arranged for him to be a choir boy at Christ Church Cathedral.

Dr. Dominique-René de Lerma is Professor of Music at Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, and a leading authority on composers of African descent. He notes that Fela went from choir boy to music student, beginning a "20-year association" with the choir's Director, Thomas King Ekundayo Phillips. The professor has posted an excerpt on Sowande from a manuscript on Black composers at a Web site: http://www.africanchorus.org/Artists/Sowande.htm





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