Considered the father of modern Nigerian art music, Sowande is perhaps the most internationally known African composer of works in the European "classical" idiom.

[3] The influence of his father and Dr T. K. Ekundayo Phillips (composer, organist and choirmaster) was an important factor in his early years.

In 1952 Sowande became musical director of the Nigerian Broadcasting Service;[6][7] in the 1955 Queen's Birthday Honours he was appointed MBE for this work.

[2] Western and African ideas prevail in his music, which included organ works such as Yorùbá Lament, Obangiji, Kyrie, Gloria, Jesu Olugbala, and Oba Aba Ke Pe.

Most of these show a strong influence from Anglican Church music, combined with Yoruba pentatonic melodies, and would have appealed to members of the West London Mission of African descent.

Graham identifies other composers of Nigerian art music as Samuel Akpabot (1932–2000), Ayo Bankole (1935–1976), Lazarus Ekwueme (born 1936), Akin Euba (1935–2020), Adam Fiberesima (1926–c1975), Oakchukwu Ndubuisi (born 1939), Josiah Ransome-Kuti (1855–1930) and Ikole Harcourt Whyte (1905–1977).

[11] In the last years of his life Sowande taught in the Department of Pan-African Studies at Kent State University, and lived in nearby Ravenna, Ohio, with his wife, Eleanor McKinney, who was one of the founders of Pacifica Radio.

Sowande recorded five movements from his collection or organ works, The Negro in Sacred Idiom, the following year (London LL-533).