‘I was told playing talking drum might prevent me from having kids’ – Ara The Drummer
Aralola Olamuyiwa, popularly known as Ara, the famous talking drummer and cultural ambassador of the Ooni of Ife, has shared her experiences of how people tried to dissuade her from playing the talking drum.
Ara, who is Africa’s first female talking drummer, revealed that she was warned that playing the talking drum might prevent her from having children, but she overcame this obstacle.
She discussed this during her appearance on the latest episode of the ‘Terms And Conditions’ podcast.
She said, “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.
“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.
“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.
