Alexander Babatunde David

DAVID, Alexander Babatunde. b. Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, 1910; d. 1945. He was  generally known as ABD.  He worked on the Nigerian railways and was a dedicated member of the United African Methodist Church in Eleja, Lagos, where he was a choir leader. During the 1930s he wrote and staged plays, many of which were performed at the Glover Hall in Lagos and built his reputation.  He established a theatre group called The Roaring Forties, and some of his pieces, especially an Easter Cantata, remain part of seasonal celebrations in Methodist churches across Nigeria. ABD went on to record some of his works on vinyl, collaborating with other Nigerian artists including Herbert Ogunde,...