Famous talking drummer and cultural ambassador of the Ooni of Ife, Aralola Olamuyiwa, popularly known as Ara, shared her experiences of how people tried to discourage her from playing the talking drum.
Ara, Africa’s first female talking drummer, revealed that she was warned playing the talking drum might prevent her from having children. However, she defied the odds and broke the jinx.
Speaking on the latest episode of the ‘Terms And Conditions’ podcast, Ara said, “There are some drums females cannot play. I started with the traditional drums but evolved over the years. I played different instruments like bass guitar, keyboard, and set drums. 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 continued, “At some point, I was afraid and wondered, ‘what could happen to me?’ They said, ‘you might not be able to have kids.’ It’s a traditional belief, but I broke that jinx.”
Ara has a son with her estranged husband, Prince Nurudeen Olalekan Saliu.
