‘I was told playing talking drum might prevent me from having kids’ – Ara The Drummer

Famous talking drummer and the cultural ambassador of the Ooni of Ife, Aralola Olamuyiwa, simply known as Ara, has recalled how people tried to discourage her from playing the talking drum.

Ara, who is Africa’s first female talking drummer, disclosed that she was told that playing the talking drum might prevent her from having children but she broke the jinx.

She featured on the latest episode of the ‘Terms And Conditions’ podcast.

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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.