Nkeiru Okoye

African Sketches

African Sketches is a four-movement suite inspired by the composer's childhood years in Nigeria, her father's homeland. "The Village Children at Play," captures the children's joyful energy, "Dusk" is a beautifully gentle memorial to Okoye's first musical mentor, and "Dancing Barefoot in the Rain" is a scherzo with all the scenic charm of its title. This movement appears as the underscoring in Carnegie Hall's social media campaign announcing their "CH" monogram. "Drums Calling" is a call-and-refrain between a mother searching for her daughter, and talking drums echoing her calls. The 12-minute AFRICAN SKETCHES makes an ideal suite for recitals, and each movement may be performed separately.