Popular talking drummer Araola Olamuyiwa known as Ara Queen of Drums, has revealed that she was once told she may not be able to have children if she played the drums.
Speaking on the recent episode of the Terms and Conditions Podcast by Pulse Nigeria, Ara recalled how no man wanted to teach her how to play the talking drums when she wanted to learn.
She said: “I was once in a band and in the band, we had talking drummers, so I said to them ‘Can you teach me?’ They tried to get someone else to teach me from outside the band but he also retreated.
“They refused to teach me. There were no females so it was shocking for them.”
Ara explained that because the community of talking drummers was heavily male-dominated, adding that it was surprising for them to see a woman wanting to learn the craft and be in the spotlight.
“Most times talking drummers are the backup players to the main act, and here I was, the main act, wanting to play the drum and then being a female on top,” she said.
The drummer disclosed that at the time, she was told that her fertility may be negatively impacted if she decided to play.
“I was actually afraid at some points and they said to me, ‘You may not be able to have kids’. I broke that jinx,” she said
The drummer also revealed that some drums are only supposed to be played by men but she said not the talking drum.
“I don’t know why, but don’t forget that we have a history and our forefathers built this on a foundation. They must have had their reasons for saying that. Maybe in the case of the drums, perhaps some of your feminine features might not develop. I was also told ‘Your soup will be sour’ which means that I won’t be able to get married in a nutshell.”
