Joshua Uzoigwe: Memoirs of a Nigerian Composer-ethnomusicologist

This book presents the life and music of Joshua Uzoigwe, a Nigerian composer-ethnomusicologist. The book examines the socio-cultural factors that most influenced Uzoigwe's creative thought, inspiration, and imagination. Uzoigwe's life and music explicate the imprint of two cultural worlds, Western and African--Igbo/Yor...uba. His music is a vivid representation of a modern intercultural music. A discussion of the stylistic features in Uzoigwe's music reveals the relationship between traditional and contemporary musical processes in modern African art music through the examination of rhythmic, tonal and harmonic organization, thematic processes, form, instrumentation, titles of works, and the interrelations of music and dance. The influence of Uzoigwe's extensive research on ukom music is evident in his compositions, particularly the Talking Drums, Ritual Procession, and Oja.