HAYES, BENNEDICT HOWARD

Hayes Bennedict Howard (1903-1963) blind Composer, musician and poet, dominated the Liberian cultural scene for several decades.

PHOTO CAPTION: Bennedict Howard Hayes SOURCE: EA Library

In his early teens, he traveled extensively through Europe, accompanied by a maternal uncle, giving “concerts” in many of Europe’s Musical halls of fame. Though completely blind for the greater part of his life, this condition did not impede his musical activities, but he was Liberia’s greatest musician until he died, contributing substantially to the musical life of the nation. During his lifetime, he was always involved in every important national event in which music formed a part.

He composed music for the inauguration of Presidents, and to commemorate the Centenary of Liberia in 1947, and that of the University of Liberia. His tastes in music were Catholic and he could play works of the “Masters” with the same facility as he could the “Blues” or many of the local ballads. He depended mainly on his senses of touch and hearing to be able to master a tune and play it.

People were often fascinated by his sense of touch as they watched him dexterously pull apart old musical instruments to repair or tune them. His busiest seasons were around commencement time. Then graduating classes all over the country asked him to provide tunes and music for their class songs, or to conduct their choruses for them. During such a period one might mistake Hayes for a young graduate, as he appeared in many group photos in cap and gown. The last and perhaps the most sophisticated of his compositions was a Suite commemorating the Centenary of Liberia College in 1962.

Some of his most popular compositions was a Suite Commemorating the Centenary of Liberia College in 1962. Some of his most popular compositions were “September Showers”; “Childhood Days”; “Bush Cow Milk”; and those depicting the life of the indigenes, “Jartu”, and “Nana Kur”, a ballad extolling the “dowry system” but protesting, among other things, against the new law of one man to one wife.

OSBORNE K. DIGGS.