Joseph Emidy: The Afro‑Portuguese Virtuoso Britain Tried to Forget
Joseph Antonio Emidy (c. 1775–23 April 1835) was an Afro‑Portuguese violinist, composer, and teacher who became one of the most prominent musical figures in early...
Tag : Composer
Mary Lou Williams: Mother of Modern Jazz
Mary Lou Williams was an African‑American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and occasional vocalist, widely regarded as one of the most important architects of twentieth-century jazz....
Enoch Mankayi Sontonga: Composer of Nkosi Sikelel ‘iAfrika
Enoch Mankayi Sontonga was the composer of Nkosi Sikelel ‘iAfrika (God Bless Africa). Nkosi Sikelel ‘iAfrika has been part of the South African national anthem...
James A. Bland: Composer of the great minstrel show tunes
James Alan Bland was an African-American musician and composer who was known as The World’s Greatest Minstrel Man. Bland wrote songs about the American South...
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Black British Composer and Political Activist
“Samuel Coleridge-Taylor is today all but forgotten in the country of his birth. The works of this talented composer are now out of fashion; and...
J. Rosamond Johnson: Composer of the “Black National Anthem”
J. Rosamond Johnson was one of the most successful of the early African American composers and singers during the Harlem Renaissance. Johnson is most notable...
Clarence Cameron White: Violinist par excellent
Clarence Cameron White (August 10, 1880 – June 30, 1960) was an African-American violinist and composer. Born in Clarksville, Tennessee, White spent his childhood in...
Robert Allen Cole: A Pioneering Black Composer
Robert Allen “Bob” Cole (July 1, 1868 – August 2, 1911) was an African-American composer, actor, playwright, and stage producer and director, who influenced the...