Fela's Quiet Rhythm

Available for 29 days

Donald Macleod traces Fela Sowande’s early musical life, from his beginnings as a chorister in Lagos to his formative years in London. With Alexander Douglas, he explores Sowande’s training under Thomas Ekundayo Phillips, his grounding in the Anglican choral tradition, and his growing engagement with Yoruba musical heritage. In the 1930s, London offered new opportunities: work in theatre and jazz, alongside continued study and performance. Out of these overlapping worlds, Sowande began shaping a musical language of his own. 2 Preludes on Yoruba Sacred Folk Melodies: No. 1 K’A Mura Fela Sowande Rebeca Omordia, piano Yoruba Lament Fela Sowande Lucius Weathersby, organ Rhapsody in Blue George Gershwin Benjamin Grosvenor, piano Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra James Judd, conductor Night and Day Fela Sowande Fela Sowande, piano / Hammond organ Reg Richmond, trumpet Hugh Lombard, alto saxophone Syd Jacobson, double bass Derek New, drums Sunset Fela Sowande Obangiji Fela Sowande Richard Lea, organ African Suite: IV & V Fela Sowande CBC Vancouver Orchestra Mario Bernardi, conductor Produced by Ellie Ajao for BBC Audio Wales & West.