From February 12–14, the West African Art Music Festival at the New England Conservatory brought together musicians, scholars, and students to explore the intersection of West African and European musical traditions.
Within the festival, Penn Music Graduate student in ethnomusicology, Echezonachukwu Nduka, led a seminar on African Pianism. A pianist and poet from Nigeria, Nduka discussed the stylistic elements that define the genre, highlighting the ways African composers adapt indigenous rhythms and tonalities to the piano. He was joined by Emmanuel Attah Poku, Royal Drummer of the Ashanti King’s palace in Kumasi, who demonstrated rhythmic patterns that inform these compositions. Professor Olabode Omojola, the festival’s resident scholar, provided additional context on the development of African Pianism.
Watch his seminar on African Pianism below: