By Dotun Ibiwoye

SINCE inception, the talking drum is played uniquely by the Yoruba people, although many other African tribes play talking drums, majority sometimes do not go beyond the peripheral to display the exact meaning but only showcase basic rhythms of drum conversations.

However, given the aphorism that a thousand mile begins with a step, the drum music culture has gradually carved a niche for the Yoruba race given the deep and enviable messages it relays while being played. Yoruba Drum Festival, YDF, is a leadership initiative, cultural diplomacy and tourism development which are strategically created to serve as a refreshing introduction of Yoruba culture and language to a global audience.

Given to the importance of drum and drumming in Yoruba’s social cultural life, The Yoruba Drum Festival, YDF was developed by Ayodele Ganiu in December 2009 at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy, ICD, and Berlin in Germany to help promote the rich cultural legacy of drum.

As an ICD Academy alumnus, Ganiu worked in consultation with Katharine Muller who is the former Managing Director of Institute for Cultural Diplomacy, ICD, Mark Donfried, Aare Lekan Amida the President of Egbe Omo Oduduwa Berlin e.V and Mr Ayodele L. Ayodeji, the former Minister, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Germany.

Talking drum

VDF is also a project of Intro Afrika, an art firm co-founded by Ganiu to promote intercultural relations by showcasing African cultures to global audiences through music and other artistic productions. The major goals of YDF are to reconnect the Yoruba in Africa and in the Diaspora to their roots, a necessity to expose aspects of Yoruba culture to a global audience and to encourage interest in and preserve the Yoruba language.

In its process of contributing to tourism development in Yoruba land, YDF is also affiliated with reputable international organisations which include; Egbe Omo Oduduwa Berlin e.V, African Languages Technology Initiative (ALT-I), Egbe Omo Oduduwa, Kenya and Institute for Cultural Diplomacy, ICD.

At the recent Lagos public awareness show at Yoruba Tennis Club, at Onikan, YDF made the audience to know that there is a conceptual engagement between the mediating role of Yoruba performers and the thematic and structural features of their performances. Also, Yoruba entertainment performances, he explained, are defined by the constant interplay of the elements of play and spirituality as controlled by the agency of the performer.

At the show, the drummers demonstrated how drums in Yoruba land goes beyond mere entertainment. The audience was thrilled with electrifying live performances by Dabi Ayanlola Kanyinsola, Kaaro Oojiire Cultural Troupe, Ayanbinrin and Ayanwola Ayankojo.

There was acrobatic display from Kaaro, Apepe display by Kaaro Oojiire troupe, Ayanbirin and Tiwa n lead dancer and bata dundun.

Ayanbinrin, whose real name is Tosin Olakanye-Olayemi is one of YDF ambassadors, She is is today, the most sought after female talking drummer in West Africa. The award-winning artiste evolved with her own identity especially with her hair style- “suku” “suku” which is a symbol of togetherness in Yoruba land.

Ayanbinrin is known for her bata choreographed dance steps that bring memories of African traditional values and heritage. Ayanwola Ayankojo, who is also an ambassador of the festival belongs to the Ayankojo family of drummers in Idere, Ibarapa Central Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria. He began his drumming career at a tender age of 3.Ayanwola has worked as a lead drummer with prominent Nigerian musical icons like Kollington Ayinla, Yomi Taiwo, Yemi Kuti and Olu Ajayi.

From the cultural display at the Lagos public Awareness Show, YDF, has proven that the age of cultural display which is symbolic of a traditional Yoruba talking drum has been established to propagate, communicate and bear cultural messages across the globe.