- Title: NIGERIA: First female talking drummer, Ara thrills fans
- Date: 31st August 2012
- Summary: VARIOUS OF PEOPLE AT OSUN FESTIVAL PLAYING DRUMS WHILE ESCORTING THE OSUN MAIDEN TO THE RIVER VARIOUS OF PEOPLE GATHERING AT THE RIVER SACRIFICIAL CHICKEN IN THE RIVER PRIESTESS PRAYING FOR MAN AS SHE SCOOPS WATER FROM RIVER AND WASHES HIS HEAD (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARALOLA OLAMUYIWA, FEMALE DRUMMER, SAYING: "For me, it's like coming back home, and being part of this celebration, being part of my culture; what I tell people everywhere I go is that my culture is my identity, it's my DNA, I run away from it, I'm a nobody and what makes me a Yoruba woman are my ancestors, Osun is one of them, I can't run away from that so being home today to celebrate at the Osun-Osogbo festival for me is a dream come true." VARIOUS OF OLAMUYIWA PERFORMING ON STAGE
- Embargoed: 15th September 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Nigeria
- Country: Nigeria
- Topics: Arts,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVADD16DHKBEAZH26ZWHY173NDK5
- Story Text: Fans came in their hundreds to watch Nigeria's first female drummer, Aralola Olamuyiwa perform her very first concert in her hometown in South-West Nigeria.
Olamuyiwa, who is from the Yoruba community was invited as the guest of honour at this year's Osun Osogbo festival, an annual culture event to pay homage to the Osun river goddess, which attracts thousands of people every year.
Ara, as she is known by her fans, first emerged in the music industry 15 years ago, as a talking drum player.
Over the years, Ara has also gained prominence for breaking the mold, and playing the talking drum, which is traditionally the sole domain of men in Niigeria.
The hourglass shaped talking drum is one of the oldest instruments in Nigeria, where in the old days, it was i used as a tool of communication, but over-time has evolved into a musical instrument.
Ara talks about what first drew her to playing drums and her determination to learn to play the instrument despite men's reluctance to teach her, because of her gender.
"Nobody wanted to teach me, because all the guys were reluctant so to speak. I didn't get discouraged, instead for me it was like then I have to do this; if everybody is saying, you might not have children, if you cook, your food will be sour, you know all kinds of things were being told to me, to discourage me from playing the talking drum at that time, but I told myself it was something I had to do," she said.
Ara says that there is a lot of preparation that goes into a performance, with weeks of rehearsals before every show.
Her performances live fans wanting more, after they watch her perform live.
"It's something that is not common in Nigeria, in fact all over the world, and I think she has stood out which is very remarkable of her," said one audience members Kehinde Ayedo.
"I've heard so much about Ara and I feel like; I've never seen a woman playing gan-gan (talking drum) before and I have been looking forward to attend an occasion like this," said another fan, Temidayo Deborah.
Although the drum is no longer used to pass on messages, it has evolved into a musical instrument, and has a special meaning for the Yoruba people, the largest ethnic group in west Africa, where the instruments plays a major role in traditional ceremonies.
"The talking drum, anything we do in Yoruba land, be it naming ceremony, house warming, marriage ceremony, burial, anything, chieftaincy, the talking drum is there, the iyalu and the adamu (parts of the talking drum) is there, we play it, it's very prominent. The Yoruba's cannot do without the talking drum in their music, no, we can't," she said.
Ara says that she has had many highlights in her career including performing for Queen Elizabeth the second of England during her visit to Abuja in 2003.
One of the main festival's main ceremonies sees worshippers of the river goddess throng to the Osun river, where prayers for fruitfulness are offered by priestesses and sacrifices of birds, kolanuts and token offerings are poured on the water.
The river is believed to hold powers that heals and cures devotees of ailments.
Although Ara does not worship the river goddess, she was proud to be part of the festivities that highligh her community's cultural heritage.
"For me, it's like coming back home, and being part of this celebration, being part of my culture; what I tell people everywhere I go is that my culture is my identity, it's my DNA, I run away from it, I'm a nobody and what makes me a Yoruba woman are my ancestors, Osun is one of them, I can't run away from that so being home today to celebrate at the Osun-Osogbo festival for me is a dream come true," she said.
Ara is currently working on her autobiography named, "My pain, Your gain", which she said is aimed at young gilrs, to encourage them to pursue their dreams. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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