Award-winning composer
Fred Onovwerosuoke’s diverse background has given rise to a varied compositional
style. Born in Ghana to Nigerian parents, Onovwerosuoke grew up in both
countries and eventually naturalized in the United States.
"FredO", as friends call him, has traveled in more
than thirty African countries doing field work and analyzing some of Africa’s
abundant music traditions. "I see hidden across Africa a gold-mine of unlimited
musical scales and modes, melodic and harmonic traditions, and, yes, rhythms -
abundant yet largely untapped," says Onovwerosuoke of his dominant influences,
and also maintains that "my compositions are informed by my travels around the
world, and each piece is harnessed and nurtured by an African sensibility that
is unmistakable and genuine." FredO has also traveled extensively in the
American Deep South, the Caribbean and South America for comparative research in
what he likes to call "traceable musical Africanisms." His influences are
wide and varied, and is much at home discussing Handel and Mozart as he is
talking about the gonje, mbira,
kora,
kontingu
and
balafon
riffs, or foremost
exponents of African traditional music.
In 1994 he founded the St. Louis African Chorus to help nurture African choral
music as a mainstream repertoire for performance and education. Today, the
organization's mission has broadened to include other art music by composers of
African-descent and renamed African
Musical Arts Inc.
Onovwerosuoke's
works have been featured in audio recordings, films, documentaries and
radio, including Robert De Niro's film,
The Good Shepherd, William-Chapman Nyaho's CD,
ASA
and Hymes/Hollister's CD
African Art Music for Flute,
Hudson/Henderson's CD, Libera, to
mention a few. His numerous awards include multiple ASCAP Awards,
American Music Center Award, Meet-The-Composer Award, and
Brannen-Cooper Brothers Award. His book,
Songs of Africa: 22 Pieces for Mixed Choirs published by Oxford
University Press has quickly become a favorite among choral directors across
the United States and globally. The first volume of Fred Onovwerosuoke's
Twenty-four Studies in African Rhythms
also rose the charts and is one of the most-demanded African-rhythm
influenced piano studies known. His newest book, 12 African Songs for
Solo Voice & Piano (distributed by African Music Publishers) now
attracts similar buzz,
globally. Fred Onovwerosuoke serves on the boards of various professional bodies
and has served as Editor of the Voice of African Music newsletter
(ISSN: 1938-2332) since 1993. Onovwerosuoke maintains an active schedule as
resident composer and visiting scholar.
Email inquiries may be sent to
info
@ fredomusic dot com
Support
our Living-Composers Endowment with
a tax-deductible donation. Donors of $2000 or more to the African Musical Arts Inc
receive The
Complete Works of Fred
Onovwerosuoke (1988-2008).
Handsomely clothbound in turquoise, burgundy or kente/adire cover and shipped
directly from the bindery. Donate online or call the African Musical Arts office
at 314-652-6800 for information.
