African Pianism as an Intercultural Compositional Framework: A Study of the Piano Works of Akin Euba

The musical landscape in Nigeria has continued to witness the emergence of new musical idioms. These new idioms range from those that are practiced within the contexts of religious worships (both Christian and Islamic) to those that are performed as part of social ceremonies and in concert halls. The advent of both the Western-Christian and the Arabic-Islamic cultures in Nigeria has provided part of the basis for the emergence of many of these new idioms. The objective in this study is to focus on modern Nigerian art music, one of such new idioms. Specifically, we shall be studying the piano works of Akin Euba, one of the leading Nigerian composers of Art music. The phrase "modern Nigerian art music," as used in this article, refers to the works of Nigerian composers that are conceived in or influenced by the tradition of Western classical music. ¹

Composers from other parts of the continent, including Ghana, South Africa, Uganda, and Egypt, have also been writing works that are similarly conceived. In Nigeria, performances of such works usually take place in concert halls, church buildings, and college halls, following Western concert conventions. This new tradition of musical practice represents a significant change within the context of Nigerian musical tradition if we take into consideration the nature of audiences as well as the contexts of performances. This is an important point to which we shall return later in this study. As the foremost Nigerian composer of piano music and the man who first advanced the concept of African pianism, Euba presents the most articulate examples of the tradition. It is for this reason that this paper focuses on his works.

In addition to analyzing the structures of selected works, I shall be relying extensively on the views of the composer himself as a means of understanding the relevant conceptual origins of his compositions. Elsewhere, I have provided a fairly detailed exposition on the historical process that precipitated the emergence of new musical idioms in Nigeria, as well as a general introduction to their stylistic features (see my Nigerian Art Music). It is, however, necessary to locate the present discussion within the cultural framework of the musical situation in Nigeria. I shall therefore briefly summarize the historical process that led to the growth of the new idioms. Furthermore, although my Nigerian Art Music provided a biographical introduction to the lives and works of Akin Euba, there is need to relate my present analysis of his works to other elements of his composing career, especially those which bear direct relevance to the works under discussion. Brief biographical information is therefore presented here.

The historical process, which led to the growth of Western-influenced modern musical idioms in Nigeria, assumed greater dynamism with the establishment of Christian Missionary stations in Badagry, near Lagos, and Calabar (southern Nigeria), in 1842 and 1846 respectively. The stations were two important points from which Christianity spread to other parts of the country. Lagos represented the city where most of the factors that shaped contemporary music in Nigeria were set in motion. The establishment of the European-imported Christian Church and the British political authority in Nigeria both facilitated the growth of European music. European church and classical music were introduced through the Church as well as through Missionary schools. The activities of both the Church and Missionary schools were complemented by the efforts of private philanthropic bodies that organized concerts and various musical and cultural activities especially when raising funds for the establishment of new schools. Such societies were formed and led not only by European missionaries and businessmen, but also by Nigerian ex-slaves who returned from the West Indies to settle in Lagos (see Leonard). In addition, the Church as well as missionary schools provided musical training for Nigerians in both the theory and practice of European music...