Nigerian poet and pianist Echezonachukwu Nduka delivered a captivating solo recital at the UCCB Casual Concert Series in Buffalo, New York on August 17, 2024.
Drawing on his African heritage, according to a statement, Nduka’s performance was noted as the most attended concert in the series, further spotlighting the genre of African classical music.
The recital, titled “Resounding African Pianism,” featured compositions by African composers and those of African descent, including J.H. Kwabena Nketia, Joshua Uzoigwe and Christian Onyeji, among others. The audience was so enthralled that an encore of Schumann’s works was requested.
Dr Jessie Downs, the series’ music director, described the performance as “amazing and beautiful,” while composer Chijioke Ngobili, who was in attendance, praised Nduka’s skill, noting the audience’s awe at his performance. He mentioned that at the end of Nduka’s performance, a lady wondered aloud if he had 10 hands. Other members of the audience also commended the performance and approached the pianist for photographs and autographs.
Echezonachukwu Nduka is a specialist in African classical music. His recent musical body of work ‘The African Serenades’ (Centaur Records, 2023) is a collaborative project where he performs select African classical piano music. He is a Ph.D student in Music Studies: Ethnomusicology at the University of Pennsylvania, and his research interests include African Pianism, African Art Music, Applied Ethnomusicology, Performance Studies, and Postcolonial Literature. He is also the author of two critically acclaimed poetry books: Chrysanthemums for Wide-eyed Ghosts (Griots Lounge, 2018) and Waterman (Griots Lounge, 2020), and has been described by The Guardian as “Artist Extraordinaire”.
His recital, “Resounding African Pianism” makes it the first recital or performance of African Pianism in Buffalo. You can watch recordings of his performance on stage by visiting the Apotheosis Art House YouTube page here.
