A memorial and 100th posthumous birthday service was held on Wednesday in honour of late music icon and founder of the Steve Rhodes Voices, Steven Bankole Rhodes, at the Cathedral Church of Christ, in Marina Lagos.
The event, which began around noon, brought together family members, old-time band members and admirers to celebrate his enduring legacy in Nigerian music and broadcasting.
The event, organised by Steve Rhodes Voices, was attended by several dignitaries, including the Chairman of PUNCH Nigeria Limited, Mrs Angela Enuwa.
It featured a tribute, musical performances and reflections on the life of the veteran broadcaster, conductor and mentor whose influence shaped generations of Nigerian artistes.
Children of the late icon, Gloria, Jeanette, and Ada, were present at the service, while the eldest daughter, Maxine, is said to be in England.
A tribute was delivered by Chief Femi Adeniyi-Williams, one of the oldest surviving members of the Steve Rhodes Voices, who described Rhodes as a visionary cultural leader, disciplined mentor and pioneering force whose contributions elevated Nigerian music, broadcasting and choral performance to international standards.
Speaking to The PUNCH on the sidelines of the event, Gloria Rhodes said the memorial was intentionally organised by the Steve Rhodes Voices to honour her father’s legacy.
“This service was honestly and truly put together by the Steve Rhodes Voices because they wanted to honour him, and I think what everybody saw clearly reflected the kind of man that he was.
“He made an incredible impact on everybody, encouraged creativity and instilled discipline,” she told The PUNCH.
The Steve Rhodes Voices delivered a richly harmonised and emotionally resonant musical performance that drew sustained applause from the congregation.
Reflecting on the performance, Gloria said, “Everything that he taught us is still very much a part of us. Twenty-five years was the last time we sang together, and we only had two rehearsals before we did this today.”
She noted that preserving Rhodes’ legacy remains a challenge in a country where artistic history is often overlooked.
“Nigeria is not very good at keeping history or remembering history, especially when it comes to the arts. Other than us trying to keep his memory alive, I am not sure many people care enough, but his legacy will live on as long as there are people whose lives he touched,” she said.
Gloria added that the family remains proud of their father’s contributions and continues to keep his memory alive through music.
“We, his children, are very proud of him. We try to keep singing as much as we can, even though we are all in different fields, but music is very much a part of all of us,” she said.
Responding to a question on whether any of the children pursued music professionally, she explained that none of them took it on full-time, but music remains part of their lives and work.
“None of us went into music full-time. I wanted to at some point in the 1980s and tried it, but I went into teaching. I work with little children, and I do plenty of singing with my little children,” she said.
Rhodes, born on April 8, 1926, was widely regarded as a pioneer of modern Nigerian contemporary music and broadcasting.
He began his musical journey early at Christ Church Cathedral under organist T.K.E. Philips and later studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford University before undergoing further musical training in Germany under composer Winfried Zilling.
He returned to Nigeria in 1956 to join the Nigerian Broadcasting Service, where he introduced live music on the radio and established the NBC Dance Orchestra.
He later became the first Nigerian Controller of Programmes at Western Nigerian Television, Africa’s first television station, and played a key role in developing indigenous television and music production.
Rhodes also worked with notable artistes, including Fela Ransome-Kuti, Sonny Okosuns, Victor Olaiya and Victor Uwaifo, while his choral ensemble, Steve Rhodes Voices, gained international recognition and won multiple global awards.
