DR. DAYO OYEDUN, IN THE CONTEXT OF THE FOURTH GENERATION OF AFRICAN ART MUSIC. (Celebrating a Maestro of Indigenous Art Music Composer)

African Art music is a genre by composers who have had the knowledge of western European music. It is often written in Western notation and performed to an enlightened listening audience that is excluded from the performance. Extensive work has been done on the first to third generations of African art music composers while the fourth has not attracted much scholarly attention. This include Dr. Dayo Oyedun, whose vocal works attracts a much better audience appreciation for centering on topical themes and adoption of popular/catchy tunes.

By Profession, Dr. Dayo Oyedun is a Medical Doctor, a senior Medical practitioner at the University Teaching Hospital, UTH, Ibadan.

Incidentally, Dr. Dayo Oyedun did not primarily study music but has to his credit over 600 compositions. He inherited a fraction of his musical genes from his father who is a retired church organist and later improvised to acquired basic knowledge in Art music and vast in the knowledge.

His music career was largely influenced by three agencies: home, school and church. Dr. Oyedun’s compositions are predominantly vocals with piano accompaniments and they are categorised into two groups based on their thematic ideas (secular and sacred). The cantatas, operas, and male voices pieces constitute the secular group, while oratorios, anthems and descants are strictly sacred.

Narratives within the secular sphere dealt with socio-cultural subjects, which, tend to promote morals and cultural values, correct ills and criticise infidelity, while those within the sacred sphere, enhance spiritual values through praise, thanksgiving, faith and request. Although the structural forms of his works largely conform to European idioms, balance is achieved through elements derived from Yoruba culture especially polyrhythms.

The inherent compositional techniques in the works include declamatory speeches, frequent and abrupt modulations, syncopated rhythms and fast chromaticism, particularly in the piano accompaniments. In terms of performance styles, the renditions are characterised by bel canto, fluctuations in dynamics and frequent change in tempo.

Dr. Dayo Oyedun’s compositions bear testimony to his musical ingenuity and distinctiveness. Dr. Dayo Oyedun, a fourth generation African art musician has distinguished himself as a composer and pianist by utilising a coherent blend of African socio-cultural resources, and western compositional techniques. Influenced by an amalgam of parental background, early school exposure and church music.

Dr. Dayo Oyedun’s compositions, which are uniquely hinged more on practical professional experience, attract a wide audience appreciation, and his chorale works have been performed wide and large in Africa and beyond.

He's the Composer of the Popular *"O ye kadupe"* piece which has become anthem in most ceremonies and occasions.

Dr. Dayo Oyedun is the current Organist of Baptist Church, Oritamefa, Total Garden, Ibadan, Oyo state.

This is written by Wale Ogundipe