☔️☔️ African Art Song: “Ojo Maa Ro” (Let it Rain!) by Ayo Bankole 🎤Omo Bello 🎹 Rebeca Omordia 🪘 Richard Olatunde Baker

Akin Euba (1935–2020) was a distinguished Nigerian composer, musicologist, and pianist known as the pioneer of “African Pianism” and “creative ethnomusicology”. His work uniquely blended traditional African musical elements, especially Yoruba rhythms, with Western classical music techniques.

Samuel Akpabot - Akwa-Ibom (1932–2000) was a renowned Nigerian composer, ethnomusicologist, author, and sports journalist. He is known for blending African traditional music and Western classical styles in his compositions, most notably his orchestral works.

FELA SOWANDE (1905–1987) ℹ️A prominent Nigerian musician, composer, organist, and educator, widely regarded as the “father of modern Nigerian art music”, his works effectively blending Western classical techniques with traditional African, particularly Yoruba, melodies and rhythms.

Part of our African flute series, the ọjà flute of the Igbo people of Nigeria plays a central role in their social, cultural & spiritual events. It is considered the “soul” of Igbo cultural music and is a key communication tool, often referred to as a “talking instrument”.

🎶 Flautist Rowland Sutherland plays Okwanjula Kw’Endere (Introduction of the Flute) by composer Justinian Tamusuza (b. 1951, Uganda) 🇺🇬part of Music from East Africa Concert at @wigmore_hall on 21 March 2026.

When the European flute is used to express certain features of African traditional music, creating a new genre - African art music for flute, a blend of Western classical music and African traditional music. Nigerian composer Akin Euba is a leading figure of the Nigerian School of art music.

The Fula flute, European flute and the balafon are increasingly found in cross-genre music,often in fusion collaborations that blend traditional West African music with Western styles, bridging the traditional West African scales with the chromatic possibilities of Western instruments.

🪈🎶 Baba Gallé Kanté plays the Fula flute. Considered the national instrument of the Fulani people of West Africa, the Fula flute holds significant cultural value, used in traditional music for storytelling, ceremonies, and connecting with ancestral traditions.

⭐️ Can you name African flutes? ⭐️ 🪈The flute holds great significance in Africa for its roles in communication, spiritual practices and cultural expression. ⚱𓂀⚒🏺Flutes in Africa have a long history, with evidence of bone and reed flutes dating back to the Later Stone Age.

African Pianism as exemplified in Igbo music in this Igbo dance for piano by Christian Onyeji from Nigeria, performed with Ogbu oja Gerald Eze at the @africanseries.bsky.social @wigmore-hall.org.uk! #igbomusic #africanpianism

🖼️🤔👓 New on ArtMuseLondon, my round-up of the most recent @africanseries.bsky.social day @wigmore-hall.org.uk, plus a look ahead to future events AND some listening recommendations. It’s all here… artmuselondon.com/2025/09/02/t...

Exploring African Pianism - I enjoyed writing this article for the Gramophone magazine exploring the African piano repertoire and highlighting techniques of African pianism. 👓 www.gramophone.co.uk/features/art...

Jamaican Medley (excerpt) by Eleanor Alberga performed by Maria Thompson Corley | African Women at The African Concert Series at Wigmore Hall 2025. #womencomposers #jamaican

Glorious ✨🎶Psalm to Windrush by Shirley J Thompson performed by Nadine Benjamin soprano & Maria Thompson Corley piano | African Women at The African Concert Series at Wigmore Hall 2025.

Dancing into the Bank Holiday weekend on Gambian rhythms. ✨🎶Tunde Jegede & the African Classical Music Ensemble | The African Concert Series at Wigmore Hall 2025

“Ambassel” from Piano Music from Ethiopia with Girma Yirfrashewa at the African Concert Series at Wigmore Hall, 2025. Listen now: youtu.be/8f3ypoYtKq4?...

Thank you to everyone who supported the 7th African Concert Series at Wigmore Hall and to those who attended our concerts! See you in 2026 for another special series of concerts on 21 March!

Another superb @africanseries.bsky.social day @wigmore-hall.org.uk draws to a close. Lovely programme tonight shuffling combinations of African & Western instruments to life-affirming effect. 🙏 💐 to @rebecaomordia.bsky.social for impeccable piano / curation / organisation skills!

Cast of thousands* (*10) for this enticing ‘African Odyssey’ programme, the finale to today’s ace @africanseries.bsky.social day @wigmore-hall.org.uk. Excited to hear these performers back in this space!

Concert 2 of @africanseries.bsky.social was a gem - scintillating solo piano selections from Maria Thompson Corley with Nadine Benjamin guesting on some beautiful songs. Back tonight for part 3! @wigmore-hall.org.uk

Onward with @africanseries.bsky.social @wigmore-hall.org.uk - astonishing morning concert from Tunde Jegede, Jan Hendrickse & Vincent Ademola Haastrup; now for the ‘African Women’ programme from Maria Thompson Corley & Nadine Benjamin.

Maria Thompson Corley & Nadine Benjamin are sound checking ahead of this afternoon’s concert at Wigmore Hall. 🎶 Join us for a programme of music by women composers of African descent starting at 3pm. ✨

Tunde Jegede, Jan Hendrickse and Vincent Ademola are sound checking ahead of this morning’s concert at @wigmore-hall.org.uk, starting a wonderful day of concerts. 🎶 Joins us from 11.30AM! ✨

Suitably tropical conditions (!) for @africanseries.bsky.social Day. Take shelter @wigmore-hall.org.uk: kora at 11.30, song at 3, chamber at 7.30. Get involved! (And dry!)

Thank you BBC Radio 3 for featuring us on In Tune ahead of our 19 July series at @wigmore-hall.org.uk Did you hear @koroleko_moussa playing the balafon? Join us for our concerts this Saturday! 🎶🎫 l www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/whats-on/ser...

Pianist Rebeca Omordia and balafon player Moussa Dembele are on BBC In Tune with Katie Derham this evening ahead of @africanseries.bsky.social at Wigmore Hall on Saturday 🎶 📻 www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m... 🎟️ www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/whats-on/ser...

Find out more and book your tickets here: www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/whats-on/ser...

This just in from Gerald Eze 🪈 Gerald will perform on his ọjà as part of @africanseries.bsky.social this Saturday at Wigmore Hall 🎶 With three concerts throughout the day, join us for a celebration of music and musicians from Africa, as well as those of African heritage ✨

Meet the Artist: Maria Thompson Corley, pianist & writer, ahead of her performance at @wigmore-hall.org.uk this Saturday!

‘I make music in a way that I respect, sharing from the depths of my heart and soul.’ #MeetTheArtist interview with Maria Thompson Corley, pianist & writer meettheartist.online/2025/07/13/m...

🚨 Only 1 WEEK until @africanseries.bsky.social is back @wigmore-hall.org.uk. 3 gigs in 1 day - perfect summer sounds! ✅ 11.30 Tunde Jegede ✅ 15.00 Maria Thompson Corley, Nadine Benjamin ✅ 19.30 Gerald Eze + multitudes! www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/whats-on/ser...

🎶 19 July, 11.30AM at @wigmore-hall.org.uk 🌗 Moon Waters with Tunde Jegede. 🎫 £5 under 35s www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/whats-on/202...

A new work by star- rising composer Nneka Cummmins, “Jiri Agba” will be premiered at @wigmore-hall.org.uk by Ubuntu Ensemble on 19 July. Jiri Agba, in Nigerian Igbo language expresses the concept of colourful work. Many thanks to Hinrichsen Foundation for supporting the development of this work.

Double bass virtuoso Leon Bosch introduces the Ubuntu Ensemble ahead of their performance at @wigmore-hall.org.uk on 19 July. 🎶 www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/whats-on/202... 🎫 £5 under 35s [sing up first]

African Classical Music at @wigmore-hall.org.uk ! 🗓️ Join us as we return with another day of concerts on 19 July! 🎫 £5 under 35s! www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/whats-on/ser...

🎶 Acclaimed Nigerian artist Gerald Eze, known as Ogbu-Ọjà, master performer of the Ọjà performs at the series on 🗓️ Saturday, 19 July, 7.30pm at @wigmore-hall.org.uk alongside @richardolatunde.bsky.social @rebecaomordia.bsky.social & Ubuntu Ensemble 🎫 www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/whats-on/202...

Honoured to give a lecture at the Wits University in Johannesburg today. African Pianism consists of a substantial piano repertoire with generations of composers writing major piano works.

🎶 Sat, 19 July, 3pm @wigmore-hall.org.uk Maria Thompson Corley performs her own music as well as piano works & songs by female composers of African descent, she will be joined by soprano Nadine Benjamin. 🎫 £5 under 35s www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/whats-on/202...

“Sanctuary” by Maria Thompson Corley combines her own arrangements of Spirituals, “I Want Jesus to Walk With Me” and “Motherless Child,” while featuring other thematic material.

African Women | Saturday, 19 July, 3.00PM @wigmore-hall.org.uk Jamaica-born pianist, composer, writer and poet Maria Thompson Corley has spent her career promoting women composers of African descent both in concert and on record. She will be joined by soprano Nadine Benjamin. 🎫 £5 under 35s 👇

“Raging River” from 24 Studies in African Rhythms by Fred Onovwerosuoke with added percussion! Great working with Moussa Dembele on this project! #africanpianism

🎶 Saturday, 19 July: The African Concert Series at @wigmore-hall.org.uk 🎫 www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/whats-on/202...

🖼️🤔👓 My latest piece for ArtMuseLondon covers the most recent @africanseries.bsky.social Day - and looks forward to the next! @wigmore-hall.org.uk @rebecaomordia.bsky.social artmuselondon.com/2025/03/24/n...

« Soirée au Hoggar » from Miniatures Algériennes by Salim Dada, inspired by “Tindi”, a traditional rhythm played by Tuareg women on a camel-skin drum stretched over a hollowed-out gourd. #algerian #africanpianism #SOMMRecordings

Wonderful review by Tim Hochstrasser in Plays to See of last Saturday’s Violin Music of the African Diaspora concert with Aisha Syed Castro & @rebecaomordia.bsky.social at @wigmore-hall.org.uk playstosee.com/reviews-in-a...

The 7th African Concert Series began yesterday at @wigmore-hall.org.uk featuring piano music from Ethiopia with Girma Yifrashewa, traditional music from Gambia with Tunde Jegede & The African Classical Ensemble and Violin Music of the African Diaspora with Aisha Syed Castro & Rebeca Omordia .

Spectacular climax to @africanseries.bsky.social @wigmore-hall.org.uk with Tunde Jegede & the African Classical Music Ensemble: spellbinding solo kora work by Jegede himself, with thrilling traditional & contemporary rep for the band. Brilliant, brilliant day.

Afternoon concert @africanseries.bsky.social @wigmore-hall.org.uk was a delight - beautiful programme from Aisha Syed-Castro (the high-octane Marsalis especially dazzling) with superb support from series founder & curator @rebecaomordia.bsky.social.

Fine start to @africanseries.bsky.social Day @wigmore-hall.org.uk with Girma Yifrashewa performing his own works. Apart from the joyous ‘Elilta’ (check out @rebecaomordia.bsky.social’s ace rendition on ‘African Pianism vol 2’), these were new to me: sublime, with the Emahoy pieces an extra treat!