Sunday, July 3, 2016

Godwin Sadoh: The Musical Times: Cross-cultural expressions in the music of Nigerian Composer Joshua Uzoigwe (1 July 1946 - 2005)

Joshua Uzoigwe

Godwin Sadoh writes:

Nigerian composer-ethnomusicologist, Joshua Uzoigwe [1946-2005], is 70 today (posthumous).
 
I honor him with this article:
 
"Cross-Cultural Expressions in the Music of Joshua Uzoigwe."  Musical Times, vol.157, No. 1935 (Summer 2016): 99–106.
 
Read the attachment.
 
 
Godwin Sadoh.
Professor of Music/LEADS Scholar
National Universities Commission
Abuja, Nigeria.


The Musical Times

Summer 2016

Composers of modern African art music trained in Western classical music find themselves enmeshed in two or more cultural traditions, those of their home countries and those of the countries - principally the United States and Europe - in which they studied.  Their training in European classical music as well as their background in African traditional music results in biculturalisms in their compositions.  One such composer is Joshua Uzoigwe, whose music exhibits two different cultural idioms, that of Nigeria and the West.

Uzoigwe was born on 1 July 1946 in Umuahia, Abia State of southeast Nigeria. He attributed his first contact with music to his participation in various musical activities in his village.  The annual wrestling match in his community offered one forum for music performance.  His involvement in this match was mainly audience participation, such as hand-clapping, singing and dancing.  Uzoigwe also sang as a child in a local church choir and occasionally performed the works of Igbo composers, including hymns and sacred anthems during special services.


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