Makerere University is preparing to spearhead a process to have retired teacher of music, Zadok Adolu-Otojoka, recognized with honorary professorship of that university, as revealed by Prof Josephine Ahikire, the principal of the college of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS).
The announcement was made at an event organized by the CHUSS to honor Adolu-Otojoka for his service to Uganda and East Africa. The event, dubbed ‘Zadok Adolu-Otojoka biography recital: Lessons from half a century of music teaching’, took place at St. Francis Chapel Makerere University on March 31, 2022.
The biography recital event, the honorary professorship and a proposed Zadok Adolu-Otojoka Music Excellence award are all packaged to fit in the university’s centenary celebrations which are running from October 2021 to October 2022.
Over the span of 52 years, he served as a teacher of music education, a cultural administrator, conductor, dancer, opera performer, rising to heading the Cultural Affairs department of the East African Community, based at Nairobi.
He made it to the top of the hierarchy, starting primary one aged 12 years, first working as a grade II teacher and eventually earning a master’s degree in the USA.
His extraordinary abilities in mentorship and counseling of people under his charge, and prolific talent in both African and Western musical art forms were also lauded.
At his prime time, he excelled as a bass-baritone with a wide range hard to beat. He featured in several opera performances alongside celebrated American and European actors and actresses.
Adolu-Otojoka, 90, retired from Makerere University in 1999 when he was head of the Music, Dance and Drama department. However, he went on to lecture at Maseno University, Kenya 2000 to 2006. He currently lives in his birthplace in Serere district.
Besides speeches, the event had musicals in three categories; spirituals, oratorios and opera.
The biography recital itself was read in three pieces by three different persons that had previously had direct experiences with the old man – Dr Milton Wabyona, Sam Okello-Kelo and Augustine Omare Okurut.
The recital served the purpose of highlighting some of Adolu-Otojoka’s experiences, approaches and recommendations presented in his oral history. It was based on an article, ‘Zadok Adolu-Otojoka and music education in Uganda: An oral history’ written by Dr Wabyona published in the USA-based Journal of Historical Research in Music Education in January 2022.
The musicals were done by Makorale, a Makerere University community music ensemble comprising current and former students of Makerere, faculty and other university community members. The repertoire for the recital was picked from Adolu-Otojoka’s most favourite works, especially those highlighted by Wabyona in his (Adolu’s) oral history and recitals of select sections of his life story.