Alaba Ilesanmi

Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Alaba Ilesanmi is a Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellow, McKnight Doctoral Fellow, and candidate in musicology at Florida State University. His research broadly explores the music of Africa and the African diaspora, delving into the ongoing dialogue among global Black cultures as they intersect the themes of identity and cultural politics, cultural sustainability, indigeneity, coloniality, post-coloniality, and globalization.

Alaba’s dissertation, “The Sound of Black Solidarity: (Re)Incarnations of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti in Global Black Politics and Soundscape,” explores the post-mortem manifestations of the late Nigerian activist and musician Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, his influence on contemporary global Black cultures, and the profound significance of the collective cultural obsession with Fela for the Black world.

Alaba engages in public-facing musicological works as the artistic director of the African Art Music Commissioning Project (AAMCP) and the director of Florida State University’s Pan-African Ensemble, Afro-Nyota. The AAMCP is an initiative of Àkójopò to promote compositions that use an Afrocentric theoretical framework, resources, processes, and elements germane to the African musical landscape. Ultimately, Àkójopò aims to foster a global presence for African Art Music, expanding the reach of African Art Music practitioners.

Alaba holds advanced certificates in music theory, percussion, and piano playing from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) and Trinity College of Music, London. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Texas at Tyler and a master’s degree in musicology from Florida State University. Additionally, he is an EC-12 certified music educator in Texas.