Pierre-Claver Akendengué (born April 25, 1943) is a
Gabonese musician and composer. In 1997, he received his country's "Prix d'excellence" at the Africa Music awards in
Libreville
Libreville (; ) is the capital and largest city of Gabon, located on the Gabon Estuary. Libreville occupies of the northwestern province of Estuaire Province, Estuaire. Libreville is also a port on the Gabon Estuary, near the Gulf of Guinea. A ...
, honoring his body of work. He also serves as a cultural advisor for the government of Gabon.
Biography
Born on the island of
Awuta, which is located just off the coast from
Port-Gentil
Port-Gentil () or Mandji is the second-largest city of Gabon, and it is a leading seaport. It is the center of Gabon's petroleum and timber industries. The city is located on a delta island in the Ogooue delta. Nearby Cape Lopez is Gabon's weste ...
,
Akendengué went to school in Port-Gentil, then studied
psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...
at the
University of Caen
The University of Caen Normandy (French: ''Université de Caen Normandie''), also known as Unicaen, is a public university in Caen, France.
History
The institution was founded in 1432 by John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford, the first rector ...
in France during the 1960s.
While in France, he met the singer
Mireille, who encouraged his musical interests.
In 1974, Akendengué recorded his first album, ''Nandipo'', which consisted of songs of his own composition, sung in French and
Nkomi, accompanied by guitar, women choir, bass and the percussion of
Nana Vasconcelos
Nana, Na Na or NANA may refer to:
People
* Nana (given name), including a list of people and characters with the given name
* Nana (surname), including a list of people and characters with the surname
* Nana (chief) (died 1896), Mimbreño A ...
.
He later set to music poems by
P. E. Mondjegou, such as "Le Chant du Coupeur d'Okoumé" ("The Song of the Okoumé Cutter"). Returning to Gabon, he studied
solfeggio and
plainchant
Plainsong or plainchant (calque from the French ; ) is a body of chants used in the liturgies of the Western Church. When referring to the term plainsong, it is those sacred pieces that are composed in Latin text. Plainsong was the exclusive for ...
at a Catholic college, and presented spectacles showcasing traditional Gabonese forms in a concert setting.
In 1986, he received a doctorate from the
University of Paris
The University of Paris (), known Metonymy, metonymically as the Sorbonne (), was the leading university in Paris, France, from 1150 to 1970, except for 1793–1806 during the French Revolution. Emerging around 1150 as a corporation associated wit ...
for his study of religion and education among the Nkomi.
Discography
* 1974 ''Nandipo''
* 1976 ''Africa Obota''
* 1978 ''Eseringuila''
* 1979 ''Owende''
* 1980 ''Mengo''
* 1982 ''Awana W'Afrika''
* 1983 ''Mando''
* 1984 ''Réveil de l'Afrique''
* 1986 ''Piroguier''
* 1986 ''Sarraouinia''
* 1988 ''Espoir à Soweto''
* 1990 ''Silence''
* 1993 ''Lambarena''
* 1995 ''Maladadite''
* 1996 ''Carrefour Rio''
* 2000 ''Obakadences''
* 2004 ''Ekunda-Sah''
* 2005 ''Gorée''
* 2009 ''La Verité d'Afrique''
* 2013 ''Destinée''
* 2018 ''La couleur de l´Afrique''
References
External links
"CD of the Week: Pierre Akendengué – ''Ekunda-Sah!''" RFI Music, March 25, 2005. Accessed January 24, 2006
Pierre Akendengue – Gorée
{{DEFAULTSORT:Akendengue, Pierre
1943 births
Living people
Gabonese composers
University of Caen Normandy alumni
People from Ogooué-Maritime Province
Gabonese singers
21st-century Gabonese musicians