Nigerian pianist to mix dance and classical music

Nduka, who mostly played European classical music, became fascinated with African classical music when he was introduced to solo piano works of Joshua Uzoigwe and Christian Onyeji as an undergraduate at the University of Nigeria in Nsukka.

“The study and performance of works by these African composers ignited my interest and led to the discovery of solo pieces by other African composers whose works portray the African cultural heritage,” Nduka says.

Three pieces – 'Okoye', 'Udge' and 'Raging River Dance No 2' – from Choreowaves are taken from Fred Onovwerosuoke’s 24 Studies in African Rhythms, which is acclaimed as one of the most important piano works by an African composer.

Onovwerosuoke’s inclusion on the product is distinctive being an American citizen born in Ghana to Nigerian parents. Nonetheless his work is influenced by various styles of traditional music.

“Each of his works selected is charged with intricate rhythms, varied harmonies and sometimes abrupt modulations that often characterise melodic instrumental music of Africa,” says Nduka, whose project also features a piece named in his own honour by composer Chijioke Ngobili, who spoke to Music In Africa.

“My composition is named after the pianist himself because I dedicated it to him back in the days when we were music students at the University of Nigeria, precisely in 2010,” he said. “It's like a personal tribute to him in solidarity of our budding days when we were struggling and kicking to have a firmer grasp of the new genre we wanted to be good, which we called ‘African art music’.”

On the subject of the importance of classical music from the continent, Ngobili said: “There are three classifications of music the world over: folk, pop and art (otherwise called 'classical' in a layman's parlance). African art music is worthy of art/classic classification too because Africa has a people who are talented enough to raise the bar of its musical endowment beyond folk and pop just like other peoples of the world.”

Both Ngobili’s piece and the work of Onovwerosuoke and others selected for Choreowaves are “rhythmically independent” but share “a common identity: dance,” says a statement made available to Music In Africa. “This reveals the idea behind the EP title. Choreo primarily means dance, or the art of dancing. In Nduka’s debut, each piece is a whole or partial invitation to dance."

“Through my playing, the piano begins to speak the language of dance to initiated ears," Nduka says. "Peter Sylvanus’ 'Obodom an Ibibio Dance for Piano’, Chijioke Ngobili’s ‘Echezonachukwu’ and Christian Onyeji’s ‘Ufie III’ are good examples of African instrumental music for dance which are now written for the piano.”

Watch Nduka speak about Choreowaves below: