Arts Playlist: Makeda Hampton's "African Romances"

By Martin Matheny

Published October 30, 2026 at 8:45 AM EDT

Most times, when a musician makes a new recording, they can draw on a wealth of information to help prepare their performance - historical writing by the composer, recordings by other artists over the years, and similar resources. But what if preparing a new record involved not only hours in the practice room, but hours doing original research as well?

That was the challenge facing soprano Makeda Hampton, a Lincoln University assistant professor who performs regularly in Delaware, in between performances at the Met in New York City and other appearances around the world.

Hampton's new recording, "African Romances" required that kind of in-depth research to present a groundbreaking recording of work of the same name by English composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor based on poems by American author Paul Laurence Dunbar. On this edition of Arts Playlist, Delaware Public Media's Martin Matheny spoke to Hampton about the music.

Arts Playlist: "African Romances"

Listen to Martin Matheny's full conversation with operatic-soprano Makeda Hampton about her latest recording paying homage to English composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

A Delaware-area operatic soprano highlights the lesser-known work of the English composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.

Makeda Hampton is an assistant professor at Lincoln University, who has performed with the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and OperaDelaware. While working on her doctorate at the University of Kentucky, Hampton began looking at the art songs of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and found herself particularly drawn to one song cycle - African Romances. She also found a major challenge.

“There was just so little research on the song cycle itself and on Coleridge-Taylor's art songs,” she says.

Born in England in the late 19th century to a white mother and a Creole father, Coleridge-Taylor was building a reputation as one of England’s preeminent composers and conductors before his death at the age of 37.

African Romances was born by a chance meeting in London between Coleridge-Taylor and American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar. Dunbar was in England reading his poetry.

“Samuel Coleridge-Taylor happened to be at that particular event,” Hampton says. “And so they connected at that event and decided to partner, and Colbridge Taylor asked if he could write and compose to those lyrics.”

The piece consists of seven songs from Dunbar’s poetry. For her recording, Hampton added two improvisations at the beginning and end of the album, featuring her voice accompanied by Tanyaradzwa Tawengwa performing on mbira, or thumb piano. Accompanying Hampton for Coleridge-Taylor’s songs is pianist Aurelien Eulert.

Hampton says she hopes her new recording will spark curiosity in listeners.

"Not necessarily about the music specifically,” she says, “but more curious about art, more curious about life, more curious about human connection and how we can be better for ourselves and for each other.”

Hampton’s record “African Romances” was released earlier this year. In early October, she made her Carnegie Hall debut performing material from the album.

Delaware Public Media's arts coverage is made possible, in part, by support from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.