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African Pianism / Rebeca Omordia
SOMM Recordings

African Pianism / Rebeca Omordia

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Details

Composer
Various
Artist
Rebeca Omordia
Format
CD
Label
SOMM Recordings
Released
Feb 11, 2022
Catalog #
SOMMCD 0647
UPC
748871064720

About

SOMM Recordings is thrilled to announce African Pianism, a revelatory collection of music by seven African composers. Released to coincide with Black History Month in the United States, it marks the label’s solo debut of Nigerian-Romanian pianist Rebeca Omordia.

First recordings include three haunting Nocturnes and percussion enhanced En attente du printemps by Moroccan Nabil Benabdeljalil. And Five Kaleidoscopes for Piano by Ghanaian-born to Nigerian parents, Fred Onovwerosuoke, best known for Bolingo, featured in the 2006 Robert de Niro film, The Good Shepherd. They evocatively reference a beehive, love of homeland, Nubian folklore and the elemental power of Nature. African Pianism takes its title from Ghanaian J.H. Kwabena Nketia’s set of Twelve Pedagogical Pieces, richly influenced by the rhythmic, tonal accent of African percussion music. Ayo Bankole’s Egun Variations, remarks Robert Matthew-Walker in his booklet notes, “skilfully melds… Nigerian musical language within a European G major tonal structure”.

Fellow Nigerians Christian Onyeji and Akin Euba also interrogate African drumming technique to brilliant effect in the former’s Ufie (Igbo Dance), the latter’s Three Yoruba Songs Without Words celebrating indigenous song. David Earl’s Princess Rainbow, from his autobiographical Scenes from a South African Childhood, is a touching memory of fly-fishing with his father.

Hailed as an “African classical music pioneer” (BBC World Service), award-winning pianist Rebeca Omordia is an exciting virtuoso with a wide-ranging career as soloist, chamber musician and recording artist. She is artistic director of the African Concert Series in London, part of Wigmore Hall’s Family of Partners. The 2022 series launches at London’s Africa Centre on January 25. Rebeca’s previous SOMM release, The Piano Music of Ralph Vaughan Williams was hailed by MusicWeb International as “spellbinding music”.

REVIEW:

With African Pianism, Rebeca Omordia has delivered what is sure to be one of the most mesmerizing, invigorating and frankly marvelous piano records of 2022.

That the music on this outstanding album isn’t already better known seems to me a perplexing injustice.

Kudos to Omordia for so eloquently bringing this truly great music to a wider audience; she is the most gracious but compelling of advocates, and we must hope her stellar efforts turn the tide.

-- Pianodao.com (Andrew Eales)

In casting her gaze exclusively on the music of African composers Akin Euba, Ayo Bankole, Christian Onyeji, David Earl, Fred Onovwerosuoke, J. H. Kwabena Nketia, and Nabil Benabdeljalil, London-based pianist Rebeca Omordia has created something truly special. Not only does she bring attention to figures whose names might be new to many a Western listener, she also presents a compelling argument on behalf of the classical music originating from their homeland, especially when so much of it entices for its distinctive melodic quality, rhythmic drive, and folk-influenced tone.

-- Textura

Tracklist 21 tracks

  1. 1 Egun Variations in G Major 07:36
    Track
    1
    Title
    Egun Variations in G Major
    Duration
    07:36
    Composer
    Ayo Bankole
    Performer
    Rebeca Omordia
  2. 2 Playtime 01:19
    Track
    2
    Title
    Playtime
    Duration
    01:19
    Composer
    J.H. Kwabena Nketia
    Performer
    Rebeca Omordia
  3. 3 Dagarti Work Song 01:21
    Track
    3
    Title
    Dagarti Work Song
    Duration
    01:21
    Composer
    J.H. Kwabena Nketia
    Performer
    Rebeca Omordia
  4. 4 Builsa Work Song 01:06
    Track
    4
    Title
    Builsa Work Song
    Duration
    01:06
    Composer
    J.H. Kwabena Nketia
    Performer
    Rebeca Omordia
  5. 5 Volta Fantasy 02:55
    Track
    5
    Title
    Volta Fantasy
    Duration
    02:55
    Composer
    J.H. Kwabena Nketia
    Performer
    Rebeca Omordia
  6. 6 I. Moderately fast 06:50
    Track
    6
    Title
    I. Moderately fast
    Duration
    06:50
    Composer
    Christian Onyeji
    Performer
    Rebeca Omordia
  7. 7 II. Slow 05:38
    Track
    7
    Title
    II. Slow
    Duration
    05:38
    Composer
    Christian Onyeji
    Performer
    Rebeca Omordia
  8. 8 III. Fast 02:03
    Track
    8
    Title
    III. Fast
    Duration
    02:03
    Composer
    Christian Onyeji
    Performer
    Rebeca Omordia
  9. 9 No. 1. With vigor 02:28
    Track
    9
    Title
    No. 1. With vigor
    Duration
    02:28
    Composer
    Fred Onovwerosuoke
    Performer
    Rebeca Omordia
  10. 10 No. 2. Adagio molto parlando 01:48
    Track
    10
    Title
    No. 2. Adagio molto parlando
    Duration
    01:48
    Composer
    Fred Onovwerosuoke
    Performer
    Rebeca Omordia
  11. 11 No. 3. Larghetto espressivo 03:05
    Track
    11
    Title
    No. 3. Larghetto espressivo
    Duration
    03:05
    Composer
    Fred Onovwerosuoke
    Performer
    Rebeca Omordia
  12. 12 No. 4. Lentissimo e languendo 04:42
    Track
    12
    Title
    No. 4. Lentissimo e languendo
    Duration
    04:42
    Composer
    Fred Onovwerosuoke
    Performer
    Rebeca Omordia
  13. 13 No. 5. Vivace con brio 03:08
    Track
    13
    Title
    No. 5. Vivace con brio
    Duration
    03:08
    Composer
    Fred Onovwerosuoke
    Performer
    Rebeca Omordia
  14. 14 Scenes from a South African Childhood: No. 2. Princess Rainbow 04:34
    Track
    14
    Title
    Scenes from a South African Childhood: No. 2. Princess Rainbow
    Duration
    04:34
    Composer
    David Earl
    Performer
    Rebeca Omordia
  15. 15 Nocturne No. 4 05:09
    Track
    15
    Title
    Nocturne No. 4
    Duration
    05:09
    Composer
    Nabil Benabdeljalil
    Performer
    Rebeca Omordia
  16. 16 Nocturne No. 5 05:01
    Track
    16
    Title
    Nocturne No. 5
    Duration
    05:01
    Composer
    Nabil Benabdeljalil
    Performer
    Rebeca Omordia
  17. 17 Nocturne No. 6 08:05
    Track
    17
    Title
    Nocturne No. 6
    Duration
    08:05
    Composer
    Nabil Benabdeljalil
    Performer
    Rebeca Omordia
  18. 18 En attente du printemps 04:25
    Track
    18
    Title
    En attente du printemps
    Duration
    04:25
    Composer
    Nabil Benabdeljalil
    Performer
    Rebeca Omordia, Abdelkader Saadoun
  19. 19 No. 1. Ore meta (Three Years) 01:54
    Track
    19
    Title
    No. 1. Ore meta (Three Years)
    Duration
    01:54
    Composer
    Akin Euba
    Performer
    Rebeca Omordia, Abdelkader Saadoun
  20. 20 No. 2. Mo ja'we gbegbe (I Pluck the Leaf of Remembrance) 02:04
    Track
    20
    Title
    No. 2. Mo ja'we gbegbe (I Pluck the Leaf of Remembrance)
    Duration
    02:04
    Composer
    Akin Euba
    Performer
    Rebeca Omordia
  21. 21 No. 3. L'ori oke ati petele (On the Hill, on the Plain) 02:16
    Track
    21
    Title
    No. 3. L'ori oke ati petele (On the Hill, on the Plain)
    Duration
    02:16
    Composer
    Akin Euba
    Performer
    Rebeca Omordia