Aralola Olumuyiwa, aka “Ara,” a renowned female talking drummer, has shared her experiences with Nigerian Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka, highlighting the valuable lessons in humility she learned from him.
In a recent interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, Ara expressed her support for President Bola Tinubu’s decision to rename the National Arts Theatre as the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts.
Ara recounted her first encounter with Soyinka in 2007, when she performed at an event in his honor. She described how Soyinka later invited her to his house and showed interest in her choice of the talking drum. The drummer also mentioned Soyinka’s thoughtful gesture of sending her goodwill messages on her 40th birthday.
Emphasizing Soyinka’s humility, Ara shared, “I learnt humility from Prof. Soyinka, he does not allow anyone to carry his bag, I was only opportune to carry his bag once, that was after dragging it from him. This speaks volumes to me.”
Ara praised Soyinka as a great respecter and lover of African culture, urging the younger generation to emulate his authenticity. She added, “Another virtue people should emulate from Soyinka is that he is a real and genuine individual, so, I challenge everyone, dare to be you, dare to be different, don’t be anybody.”
The talking drummer also called on the Federal Government to continue honoring cultural icons while they are still alive, noting Soyinka’s significant contributions at the age of 90.
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