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Intercultural Creativity in Joshua Uzoigwe's Music

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2011

Godwin Sadoh
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Abstract

This essay presents Joshua Uzoigwe as a Nigerian intercultural composer. A short biography of the composer shows the influence of two cultur—Nigerian (Igbo/Yoruba) and European—on his creative outputs. Uzoigwe's experience in the two cultures has enabled him to compose music which is indisputably a synthesis of Nigerian and European musical idioms. His works are classified into five categories, while the creative style exhibits purely original compositions and works in which Nigerian musical elements are directly utilised. A discussion of Uzoigwe's music includes elements of tonal organisation, elements of dance, elements of musical conception and instrumentation. The issue of bi-culturalism, national identity and the search for a Nigerian audience are some of the problems Uzoigwe attempts to solve in his compositions.

Résumé

Cet essai présente Joshua Uzoigwe comme un compositeur interculturel nigérian. Une biographie succincte du compositeur montre l'influence de deux cultures, nigériane (igbo/yoruba) et européenne, sur son œuvre de création. L'expérience d'Uzoigwe de ces deux cultures lui a permis de composer une musique qui fait indiscutablement la synthe‘se des idiomes musicaux nigérians et européens. Ses œuvres se classent en cinq catégories, tandis que son style créatif témoigne de compositions et œuvres purement originales qui utilisent directement des éléments musicaux nigérians. Une discussion sur la musique d'Uzoigwe comprend des éléments d'organisation tonale, des éléments de danse, des éléments de conception et d'instrumentation musicales. Le biculturalisme, l'identité nationale et la recherche de public nigérian sont quelques‐uns des proble‘mes qu'Uzoigwe tente de résoudre dans ses compositions.

Type
Research Article
Information
Africa , Volume 74 , Issue 4 , November 2004 , pp. 633 - 661
Copyright
Copyright © International African Institute 2004

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