Olu Sowande: Centenary-Plus Celebration of a Nigerian Musical Legend

The arrival of the American and European missionaries and colonization in Nigeria in the mid-19th century paved the way for the emergence of Western classical music in the country. This novel style of music was disseminated to talented Nigerians through the church, colonial schools, concerts, and other media. Nigerians learned to compose, read, write music, and play Western instruments such as the violin, piano, and organ in these forums. The great Nigerian music family of the Sowande is not exempt from this experience. They encountered classical music in most of these avenues and thus became naturally imbued with it. The Nigerian classical music impresario, Olubunmi Jonathan Sowande (1916–1968), would have been 109 this year. Olu was born in Lagos on June 16, 1916, to Rev. Emmanuel Josiah Sowande and Comfort Sowande. He was the last of five children who were all deceased. The others are a professor and renowned organist-composer, Fela Sowande (1905–1987), Sola Sowunmi (1908-1979),[1] Yinka Sowande (1910–1993),[2] and Justice Tunji Sowande (1912-1999),[3] of the Inner Temple and the first black judge in Great Britain. Olu’s father passed on when he was only two years old. His father died from the 1918 flu epidemic. Throughout his life, Olu was very close to his mother and looked up to his older brother Fela as a mentor and fatherly figure. Olu attended St. Peter’s Primary School, Faji, and graduated from the famous King’s College, Lagos, in 1934. He taught at Aroloya School from 1935 to 1938. Olu joined the Federal Surveys on March 7, 1938, as a 3rd Class Clerk. He was later promoted to a 2nd Class Clerk in 1946 and a 1st Class Clerk in 1949, respectively.