Popular female talking drummer and cultural ambassador of the Ooni of Ife, Aralola Olamuyiwa, also known as Ara, has shared the challenges she faced in her journey to mastering the talking drum.
Speaking on the latest episode of the ‘Terms And Conditions’ podcast, Ara, Africa’s first female talking drummer, revealed that she was warned that playing the talking drum might prevent her from having children.
“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 continued.
Ara admitted that these warnings made her apprehensive. “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.”
Despite the challenges and cultural superstitions, Ara says she persevered and successfully mastered the talking drum, becoming a trailblazer for women in the field.
