Monday, November 26, 2012

Fela Sowande Plays 3 Popular Tunes on Hammond Organ in .mp3 Files at AfriClassical.com

        Fela Sowande in 1946 Theatre Organ World (From Alan Ashton)


Singer Adelaide Hall and Fela Sowande on cover of ASV LP Record Label
(From Alan Ashton)


Alan Ashton is a former BBC Radio broadcaster whose website is www.organradio.com.  On November 20, 2012 he sent an email to AfriClassical.com.

Alan Ashton writes:
Unless I have missed it, or the omission is deliberate, there seems to be no mention of his time as both a theatre pipe & electronic organist. He made a number of broadcasts on the BBC theatre organ as a solo performer, and is still heard as accompanist, on Hammond organ, to Adelaide Hall. I also believe that he appeared in the stage production of Black Birds. His signature tune during those popular organ music days was Deep Purple...for obvious reasons! Some years before he died I traced him to the USA where he was now a teaching professor, and he gave me a wonderful interview for my (then) radio programme on BBC Radio Manchester. Sadly, and it is my one regret, I no longer have the tape.


I have just come across the entry in the 1946 Theatre Organ World publication, and if you would like it I can also copy you an excellent photo from that book.

Hope this helps but I just felt that a very important part of his life story (appears) to be missing. There are shots of him on the Internet with Adelaide Hall.

Alan Ashton


The information, photos and .mp3 files which Alan Ashton has brought to our attention have been posted today at the Fela Sowande and Audio pages at AfriClassical.com. The new audio samples of Fela Sowande playing the Hammond organ are Sierra Sue (3:09); Goodnight (3:12); and Deep Purple (5:41). Three new paragraphs have been added to the Fela Sowande web page, Paragraphs 10 Adelaide Hall; 11 BBC Theatre Organ and 12 Theatre Organ World.

AfriClassical and AfriClassical.com are very grateful to Alan Ashton for the opportunity to let readers hear three popular tunes which Fela Sowande played professionally on the Hammond organ. We also thank him for the stunning photo of Fela Sowande in white tie, the ASV LP album cover art, and the entry on Fela Sowande in the 1946 Theatre Organ World.

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