Capital Voices

The Capital Voices of Abuja was put together in 1999 by the Management of the then FCT Council for Arts and Culture. Choral Music prior to this had existed only in churches. A great void was left as there was so much beautiful secular music which had been left untouched. The formation of the chorale therefore is Capital Voice’s way of taking choral music to the next level in the FCT>

The Chorale is a mixed chorus made up of 50 regular members who are resident in the FCT. When the occasion warrants it can grow to 100 – 150 members, all resident within the city centre and surrounding satellite towns. Their repotoire includes through composed songs, choral arrangements of traditional songs of Nigeria, negro-spirituals, sacred and secular classical songs. The choral is directed by Ngozi Chinyere Ogugua, a musicologist, voice teacher and singer.

The Chorale has represented the FCT at many events. The Chorale was the official choir at the 26th National Sports Festival in Abuja. It has represented the FCT at the National Festival of Art and Culture in the last two years, both times emerging as the best group in the event category. It has also performed at the Welcome Dinner for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings (CHOGM 2004), and this year joins the Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir for a spectacular performance in the Cathedral on Friday 23rd June.

Ngozi Chinyere Ogugua, Director

Ngozi Chinyere Ogugua was born on 14th May 1967. She hails from Owerri, Imo State, South East Nigeria. She attended primary school in Enugu and Lagos, Nigeria. Her secondary school education was at the Federal Government Girl’s College, Abuloma, Port Harcourt, Nigeria (1979 – 1984).

Ngozi attended the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in Enugu State, South East Nigeria and obtained in 1991, a Bachelor’s degree in Music with speciality in voice. She undertook her National Service (1991 – 1992) at Rivers State College of Education, Port Harcourt, South Nigeria. In the college she taught Theory of Music, Ethnomusicology, History of Western Music, Saxophone and Voice.

She aquired a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Abuja, in the Federal Capital of Nigeria in 2002.

She joined Imo State Council for Arts and Culture in February 1992 as a Cultural Affairs Officer. Later she entered the services of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (Abuja Council for Art and Culture) as a Cultural Affairs Officer from 1994 to date.

Ngozi is married to Lawrence Ogugua and they have four children, three boys (Udo, Duziem, Chinazom) and a girl (Chisom).