She is every inch a beautiful young lady in her early 20s. She can pass for a model but she is not formally into fashion and style. She is a drummer, a vocation which runs in her veins. Ayandamilola Ayanwola spoke with The Tabloid.net at a recent function in Oyo. Excerpts
How did you find yourself in drumming vocation?
I cannot say specifically of how I got here but I can say that drumming is in my blood from childhood because it is my family trade.
Are you from Oyo?
No, I am from Ilora but I always travel down to Oyo to perform at occasion like this, especially where Baba Alaafin is present.
Does Baba Alaafin know you personally?
Yes, Baba knows me because he has seen me at different functions performing before him.
How old are you?
I am 21 years old.
Is there any other thing you do for a living apart from drumming?
Yes, I am also a fashion designer.
Don’t you find the two vocations conflicting, in terms of attention you give to each?
They are not conflicting in anyway. I have mastered how to organize myself to make sure one does not disturb the other.
Can we then say drumming is profitable?
To say the truth, drumming is profitable, as far as I am concerned but above all one needs to be contented with whatever one makes at functions. That is why I said it is profitable.
Don’t you feel shy?
Why should I feel shy when drumming is not a crime, and most importantly it is about of culture. I am a Yoruba and very proud, and one of the things to prove that I am a Yoruba is what I do. You can see I am enjoying myself doing it.
You inherited it through your family, can anyone outside that family come for apprenticeship?
Yes, people are showing interest in drumming now. I have apprentice. It is good that they are showing interest; it means drumming is becoming a profession.
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