Fela Sowande

Chief Olufela Obafunmilayo "Fela" Sowande MBE (29 May 1905 – 13 March 1987) was a Nigerian musician and composer. Considered the father of modern Nigerian art music, Sowande is perhaps the most internationally known African composer of works in the European "classical" idiom.

Early life

Sowande was born 29 May 1905 in Abeokuta, near Lagos, the son of Emmanuel Sowande, a priest and pioneer of Nigerian church music. As a child he sang in the choir of the Cathedral Church of Christ. He studied at the C.M.S. Grammar School and at King's College, Lagos. The influence of his father and Dr. T. K. Ekundayo Phillips (composer, organist and choirmaster) was an important factor in his early years. Through Phillips, Sowande was first exposed to European church music like Bach and Rheinberger. At that time, Sowande was a chorister and was introduced to new Yoruba works being introduced into the churches. Under Phillips' tutelage, Sowande earned the Fellowship Diploma (FRCO) from the Royal College of Organists. At that time, he was also a bandleader, playing jazz and popular highlife music.

From 1945 until 1952, he was organist and choirmaster at the West London Mission of the Methodist Church. During this time, he also became known as a dance pianist, bandleader, and Hammond organist, playing popular tunes of the day. in the 1955 Queen's Birthday Honours he was appointed MBE for this work.

Sowande was one of the six judges who selected the Nigerian National Anthem in 1960. and is now a Canadian orchestral standard. He also wrote a significant amount of secular and sacred choral music, mainly a cappella. Some of these works were composed during his period with the BBC Africa Service.

Nigerian art music Ronnie Graham identifies the "art" music - "or the acculturated music of Nigeria's educated and westernised elite" - as a neglected area of study, which he presumes is due to its close approximation of western classical music. Graham identifies other composers of Nigerian art music as Samuel Akpabot (1932–2000), Ayo Bankole (1935–1976), Lazarus Ekwueme (born 1935), Akin Euba (1935–2020), Adam Fiberesima (1926–c1975), Oakchukwu Ndubuisi (born 1939), Josiah Ransome-Kuti (1855–1930) and Ikole Harcourt Whyte (1905–1977). "Many of their compositions involve adapting folk songs and traditions to western classical arrangements and instruments", he says.

Later life In the last years of his life Sowande taught in the Department of Pan-African Studies at Kent State University, and lived in nearby Ravenna, Ohio, with his wife, Eleanor McKinney, who was one of the founders of Pacifica Radio. He died in Ravenna and is buried in Randolph Township, Ohio.

In addition to his position as a professor, Sowande also held the chieftaincy title of the Bariyo of Lagos. There is currently a move to set up a centre to research and promote his works, as many remain unpublished or are out of print.

Selected compositions

Organ 1945 – Ka Mura, Chappell, London 1952 – Pastourelle (for organ), Chappell, London 1955 – Jesu Olugbala, Chappell, London 1955 – Joshua Fit de Battle of Jericho, Chappell, London 1955 – Kyrie, Chappell, London 1955 – Obangiji, Chappell, London 1955 – Yorùbá Lament, Chappell, London 1958 – Oyigiyigi, Ricordi, New York 1958 – Gloria, Ricordi, New York 1958 – Prayer, Ricordi, New York KÕa Mo Rokoso Oba Aba Ke Pe Go Down Moses The Negro in Sacred Idiom, various organ pieces

Choral "The Wedding Day" for S.S.A. with piano, 1957, RDH "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" for S.A.T.B. a cappella, 1955, Chappell, London "My Way's Cloudy" for S.A.T.B. with piano, 1955, Chappell, London "De Ol' Ark's a-Moverin" for S.A.T.B.B. a cappella with tenor solo, 1955, Chappell, London "Same Train" for S.A.T.B.B. a cappella, 1955, Chappell, London "Roll de Ol' Chariot" for S.A.T.B.B. with piano and rhythm combo, 1955, Chappell, London Steal Away for S.A.T.B.B. a cappella, 1955, Chappell, London "Responses in 'A'" for S.A.T.B. a cappella with cantor, 1959, manuscript "All I d"o for S.A.T.B.B. with piano and rhythm combo, 1961, Ricordi, New York "Goin' to Set Down" for S.A.T.B. a cappella with soprano solo, 1961, Ricordi, New York "Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray" for S.A.T.B. a cappella with soprano solo, 1958, Ricordi, New York "De Angels Are Watchin'" for S.A.T.B. a cappella with soprano and tenor solo, 1958, Ricordi, New York "Nobody Knows de Trouble I See" for S.A.TB. a cappella, 1958, Ricordi, New York "Wheel, Oh Wheel" for S.A.T.B. a cappella, 1961, Ricordi, New York "Wid a Sword in Ma Hand" for S.A.T.B.B. a cappella, 1958, Ricordi, New York "Sit Down Servant" for T.T.B.B. a cappella and tenor solo, 1961, Ricordi, New York "Out of Zion" for S.A.T.B. with organ, 1955 "St. Jude's Response" for S.A.T.B. with organ "Oh Render Thanks" (hymn-anthem) for S.A.T.B. with organ, 1960 Nigerian National Anthem (an arrangement) for S.A.T.B. with organ, 1960 Chants for Alan Paton and Krishna Shah's play Sponono, 1964

Solo songs Three Songs of Contemplation for tenor and piano, 1950, Chappell, London Because of You for voice and piano, 1950, Chappell, London Three Yoruba Songs for voice and piano, 1954, Ibadan

Orchestral Four Sketches for full orchestra, 1953 African Suite for string orchestra, 1945, Chappell, London Folk Symphony for full orchestra, 1960. Commissioned by the Nigerian government in celebration of its 1 Oct 1960 independence.