Fela Sowande

Fela Sowande (1905 – 1987) was a Nigerian musician and composer.

Sowande was born in the Nigerian state of Oyo. His father, Emanuel Sowanda, 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.

It is primarily as a composer that Sowande is best known. He is the father of a style of music known as Nigerian art music. Though his works are not performed extremely often, he is becoming more well known and he is probably the most famous classical composer born in the continent of Africa. Much of his music is a mixture of Nigerian melodies set to music that is influenced by European classical music and, to a somewhat lesser extent, by American jazz music. His most famous piece is probably the African suite for strings.

External links

• A more detailed account of his life