Dare Omotayo’s flautist composition, “Afro Cantabile,” thrives with a soul-stirring Caribbean feel that keeps the listener glued from the intro.
Joining this writer’s list of Nigerian flautist maestros, including notable minds like Tee Mac Omatshola Iseli, among others, Dare Omotayo brings a spirited approach to his flautist compositions. Omotayo’s unique compositions, including “Passage of Time” and “Echoes of the Wild,” and now “Afro Cantabile,” brim with mood-stabilising tonal structures that distinguish his discography.
In “Afro Cantabile,” Omotayo creates a soulfully harmonic record that combines Nigerian pop percussion—using that 4/4 beat pattern that emphasises the Afrobeats feel to the record—with piano and guitar sections to layer his airy, fluid, and euphoric flute drift.
Also, as far as “Afro Cantabile” is concerned, the song closely mirrors Wyclef’s 2004 classic “Your Love,” although with a unique composition that does not in any way suggest a remake. Its emphatic cadence and vivid articulation distinguish it even more as a unique composition. In fact, the Wyclef reference comes alive specifically within the song’s refrain, while the rest of the song is an Afro-Caribbean–Nigerian pop classical fusion wonder.
Omotayo flips the song further with two Nigerian pop-leaning verses that sound like a Duncan Mighty or Wande Coal instrumental refix. Typically, his clever use of flutter tonguing, trills, and staccatos amplifies his articulation, but the sharpest intrigues in the arrangement come with the percussive improvisation at the end of the composition. Ultimately, Omotayo’s cathartic tonal timbres, airy pacing, and multi-linear arrangement shine through the song; the outro serves as quite the potent finisher, amplifying its overall compositional shock value.
The weakest bits of Omotayo’s “Afro Cantabile” are less than one can chew, actually. Mostly pockets of flat notes occur around the song’s midpoints. Yet, the song’s overall enjoyability pulses through the four-minute spin. Omotayo’s embouchure, transitive pauses, melodic emphasis, and overall phrasing keep the song brimming as a multicultural musical delight. Somehow, he is able to interpret both musical traditions, with different levels of tonal emphasis for each, while cohesively knotting them together with his cadence and articulation.
Overall, Dare Omotayo’s “Afro Cantabile” feels like a page from Greg Patillo’s urban street-flute cantabiles. It’s raw, authentic, emotionally poignant, tonally fluid, and well articulated. It’s his most airy and euphoric work, yet spins with high replay value. It’s a laudable composition and a clear signal to the African instrumentalists’ community to continue stretching the boundaries with instrumental music.
Dare Omotayo Richards is a classically trained and ABRSM-certified flautist with over 17 years of versatile experience performing across classical, jazz, pop, hip-hop, African traditional, and contemporary genres. An accomplished performer, composer, and arranger, he is well recognised across music circles for his leadership in orchestral, chamber music, and educational projects across Africa and Europe. He has been mentored by internationally acclaimed flautists, including Demarre McGill, Principal Flautist, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, and Corvin Matei, flautist and principal conductor of the Stellenbosch University Symphony Orchestra. He is committed to artistic excellence, cross-cultural collaborations, and advancing African music on global platforms.
