Femi Adeniyi-Williams, current Chairman of MUSON Centre was one of the first set of Steve Rhodes Voices. In this interview at his MUSON Centre office, he speaks on how he and his elder sister (now late) joined the group, his appreciation of Steve Rhodes and the dynamics of orchestra arrangements. Excerpts from an interview conducted by Bola Adewara.

How did you meet with Steve Rhodes?

It was a long time ago and I have a very warm relationship with him. He has an elder sister, Mrs. Olga Miller, (she was Miss Olga Rhodes.) Olga was married to my mother's brother, the late Dr. Tunji Adeniyi-Jones. So, I knew him as an uncle in the family not as a musician because his sister was married to my Uncle.

There after, I was conscious of the fact that he was into music and as I grew up, I was influenced into music by my father who was an engineer. He had one of the biggest collections of music amongst his peers at the time. He had all sorts of records, classical, even music that was before my time. I got exposed to so many records and songs that so many people wondered how did I know some of those songs. I did because my father played it in the house. I also inherited the habit of buying records from him. I bought so many records that it nearly wrecked me because I bought more than I could afford.

So at one stage, my father asked me what did I want to do and I said music. He said he would hand me over to Steve Rhodes. But he was not really keen on me going into music because he thought music could not earn one a living in Nigeria .

I knew Steve Rhodes was working in broadcasting station and knew he had played in Germany and some European countries. I liked his style and what he was doing at the time. And I looked up to him as a sort of role model. I got to close to him musically and I was part of whatever he was doing musically.

So when he came up with a choir known as Steve Rhodes Voices, it was natural that I joined because I was a member of my Church Choir, Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina Lagos. I also took part in so many operas in my secondary school. I had a good soprano voice and I was aware of that. In fact at a time, I recorded my voice on a disc at Badejo Sound Studio and took part in so many musical festivals at Salvation Army Hall on Odunlami Street , Lagos . That was the background I came from.

So when he set up his choir, it was automatic for me to join when he invited my immediate elder sister, (whom I lost about 35 years ago on Eko Bridge in a car accident). She was a scientist but trained her voice in the United State .

Being a member of the Choir was something I enjoined doing. We did so many Edwin Hawkins music and some Nigerian music which Steve Rhodes rejuvenated by putting his own touch and styles. It made a world of difference and people would not believe it was the same music. He gave his own identity to what we call standard tunes that titillates his audience.

One thing I must add is that if that man had lived in Europe or in the US at the time, he would have been bigger than he is today. Except for the fact that he would not have had much to do with the African tunes because it did not relate to that market. I think one could refer to him as a genius for he could really bring something out of nothing.

When did you leave the group?
I think after my sister died in 1971. I began to loose interest because I was more interested in building my career in advertising and that prevented me from attending rehearsals regularly. And if you do not attend rehearsals, you can't perform. So I left.

Do you subscribe to the idea that his music is elitist and few Nigerians could relate to it?
I don't thinks so. He has a combination of both. You know his main instrument is the Cello, the double bass. I think his favourite was the big band orchestra. That is his forte.

When he plays a typical Nigerian tune, people should be able to dance except when he is playing the Frank Sinatra stuff. I would not say that his music is elitist because what we are talking about here is harmony and that does not make it elitist. The understanding is the ability to follow the melody. Yes, many Nigerians are not at home with the big band but these days, so many of our highlife and Juju bands are becoming big bands. They have horns, trumpet, saxophones, etc. So a certain section of Nigeria may regard it elitist, but fact is, the world is becoming a global village where, through the satellite televisions, we are exposed to so many kinds of music and arrangements coming from all over the world.

Does Nigeria , as a government and as a people, understand the contributions of Steve Rhodes?
Well, those who have the opportunity to get exposed to what he has done have shown appreciation to him. But I don't know if that is enough. What are his venues? The closely knit venues where tickets cost high and many Nigerians may not be able to afford. Of course, this is an orchestra where he has to hire instruments and may be pay his band members. All these are cost intensive unless he says it's for charity. Even if it's a charity, someone has to pick the bills.

Here at MUSON Center , where we have orchestra band, we pay our musicians to rehearse, pay them transport allowances so that the can appreciate what they are doing and continue in it. If not, many of them will not come because they have to pay their transport and the security element is there.

In a situation where many Nigerian are hungry, not many of them will do orchestra. Those who do are people who are really keen about it. Orchestra arrangement is a virgin area which many people could explore and exploit.

It's a pity that Uncle Steve is old now and can't go as far as he has gone again. But we pray someone will continue where he stops. We have not seen many people in the orchestra arrangement the way we see them dabble or copycat other businesses. This is because orchestra arrangement is not that kind of business where you sell food or just hire people and sack them when they misbehave. In orchestra, you bring in people and train them. Training them takes a long time and so you can't have such experience all the time.

Also, a lot of people believe they can't sustain themselves playing music, so they always have other side kicks. They have time for music, acting, etc only when they are free from work that puts food on their tables. In most countries where orchestra arrangement is in vogue, the people start when they are four, five, six years old. Here, we start at age 20, 25 or even 40, by which time they can never have the same grasp like the child who started at four, five six.

A child is discovered to have that gift, they encourage it. But here, we have some derogatory words to describe children taking to music because we see music as a low grade job to earn a livelihood.

And then, the instrument themselves are not cheap, and you cannot depend on one for long because after a time, you have to buy another. So who buys that? They person who has not eaten well?

And again, you need teachers. This is a country where music teachers are not easily available. The man who runs the orchestra cannot teach all the instruments. He would have perhaps mastered one or two and depend on others to teach members.

In orchestra arrangements, you read music. How many people can do that? How many of them are ready to subject themselves to the discipline of learning sheet music in their old ages? Many Nigerians are not that disciplined.

Also, orchestra is run as a group. When you get older, you get a younger set to take over. It's like in football too. They have a place where the younger generations are trained before they take over form the older ones. That is the secret of their survival.

Do you see Steve Rhodes doing that kind of thing?
He has done his best. And now at over 80 years, what energy does he have? The only person I think could do such a thing now is Ayo Bankole. Apart from him, I don't see anybody taking over from him.

What would you say Steve Rhodes has done for Nigeria ?
I don't know whether you know it or not. Steve Rhodes has exposed the musical talents of this country to the outside world. I am aware of the fact that the choirs have won international awards where they came up tops. He has made some recordings that have gone out of the country. The expatriates who listen to his music here are aware of it and invite him to play at their functions.