For some people, any attempt to broaden the classical repertoire to include non-white, non-male composers smacks of wokery, but it isn’t about throwing Beethoven out with the bath water. It’s about finding new perspectives, uncovering neglected music that will enrich, not impoverish, our enjoyment and understanding.
Few ensembles have done as much to decolonise the repertoire as Chineke!, founded by bassist Chi-Chi Nwanoku in 2015 as Europe’s first professional orchestra of black and ethnically diverse musicians. The name, from Nigeria’s Igbo language, could be roughly translated as “Oh my God!”, the exclamation mark suggesting both surprise and pleasure. That’s what orchestras are for, isn’t it?
