Famous Nigerian talking drummer and cultural ambassador of the Ooni of Ife, Aralola Olamuyiwa, known simply as Ara, has shared her journey of defying discouragement to pursue her passion for playing the talking drum.
Ara, Africa’s first female talking drummer, recounted on the latest episode of the ‘Terms And Conditions’ podcast how people tried to dissuade her from playing the talking drum, warning that it might prevent her from having children. Despite these warnings, she broke the jinx and successfully pursued her passion.
“There are some drums females cannot play. I started with the traditional drums. But I evolved over the years. I played different instruments like bass guitar, keyboard, and set drums,” Ara explained. “But I wanted something different, so I started learning how to play the talking drum. People I asked to teach me were skeptical about teaching me because I am a woman. So I am self-taught.”
She admitted that, at times, she was fearful due to traditional beliefs. “Although at some point, I was afraid. I was like, ‘what could happen to me?’ They were like, ‘you might not be able to have kids.’ It’s a traditional thing but I broke that jinx.”
Ara has a son with her estranged husband, Prince Nurudeen Olalekan Saliu, further proving that she could defy the odds and stereotypes associated with female drummers in traditional African music.
