1st February, 2013
Acclaimed talking drummer, Aralola Olumuyiwa, better known Ara, tells NEHRU ODEH about her plans to release at least two albums and a movie this year. Congratulations on your birthday.
How do you feel becoming a year older today?
I feel grateful to God that I am able to witness another new year, a new day in my life. I am privileged. I bless God. I feel really, really happy.
Looking at your life, is there any regret?
I don’t have any regrets. I believe whatever I have experienced or been through, whether good or bad, has been for a reason and for positive change in my life. We have to go through certain trials to appreciate life more and forge ahead. So, I don’t have any regrets.
Have you had any experience in your career that you regretted?
Well, like I said I have had experiences in my life that I wished otherwise. But looking back today, I thank God that I scaled through those periods in my career. I learnt quite a lot and I am a better person now. I gained more understanding and wisdom in the process. So it’s a learning process and a win-win situation. So, today I thank God that I am alive and I can look back and say, oh it wasn’t what I expected but I thank God.
Where has drumming taken you to, having being a female talking drummer for 25 years?
Drumming has taken me to many places. Being the first female talking drummer opened many doors for me. I think the only continent I have not been to is Asia. But I have been to a lot of countries simply because I am a female talking drummer. This brings me back to what I say about originality and about appreciating where we are coming from and what we have as a people–our culture and heritage. That is what has opened the doors and is still opening doors for me.
As a female drummer in a male-dominated society like ours, don’t you feel marginalised?
Rome was not built in a day. In those days you’d not find a female talking dummer. But now we have been accepted. Because after Ara came out, others such as Ayanbirin followed. We have been accepted and absorbed into the society and recognised. It’s a gradual process. I am sure in the next generation, things will look a lot different. Looking back at the older generation, there was nothing like that.
Could you mention some of the awards you have won as a female drummer?
I won awards up till last year. I would mention AMEN Award, Royal Purple Ball Award, Nigerian Music Award and Nigerian Entertainment Award. All these are in the category of being an innovative female or best female. A lot of the people we were placed side by side were people who were equally old in the field. The awards have been coming in and still coming in.
Why did you abandon your university education twice without acquiring a degree?
In 1993, I entered the University of Ilorin to study Law. I wanted to study Performing Arts, but my parents insisted on Law. And as an act of rebellion, I stayed away from class. I was always in the department of Theatre Arts or going from one place to the other singing. And at the end of it all, I got my result and moved to Performing Arts. Unfortunately for me, I had one or two problems. I left school and moved to singing and got caught up in the middle of it all. Then in 1999, I went back to school to study English. I was in my third year when I also left to further my artistic career. I left because I thought I obtain my transcript to continue on the satellite campus very close to where I was being packaged ad groomed. Unfortunately my then management team did not fulfil their part of that deal. So I just plunged myself further more into my career.
What is the latest about your music?
The latest is that I recorded a new video last December titled Yanke. I am working on other videos and other collaborations. I am working on celebrating 25 years of my life as an act. I will celebrate it this year, though work is still going on. A lot of people ask me how come you’ve been 25 years on stage. And I say the first time I performed was in 1987.
How old were you then?
I was… pretty young. And it was one of the most memorable experiences of my life, singing with a band performing and all that. I have not looked back since. And I thank God for the support of my parents. This year, my fans should just expect a lot from me. In the past, I think they got tired of asking when my album will drop because I don’t have a single album in the market in spite of my success. A lot of people say that is unprecedented. I say it’s not about the album. I am a performer, an entertainer. And that is life. But so to speak, I want my audience and fans to go home with a piece of me, a part of me in their cars and in their homes. So we are working on it.
You don’t have an album and you are this big musically. What is behind your phenomenal success?
I would attribute it to one thing: it was predestined to be so. That is one. Two, because of the work I do. I would say my drumming is kind of spiritual. I have the blessings of my ancestors. And the fact that I do something different and unique as my name, Ara, suggests. I think those are the three things I can attribute it to. It’s not about how hard I work. Some even work harder than I do. There are probably people who are more talented. But the fact that God plays a prominent role in my life, I don’t joke with Him. The Bible says: ‘Seek ye first His kingdom and His righteousness and everything will be added unto you.’ I follow that. I put God first and, trust me, everything has been added unto me; and more are still being added.
How far have you gone with the album you are working on?
I am seriously working on it. I am not just coming out with songs I have done before, I am also coming out with a gospel album. It’s a seven-track album. And these songs were written during my most trying periods and the inspiration came from a dream I had. In that dream, I saw Daddy Adeboye and he ordered somebody to give me the microphone to lead praise and worship. I have never met Daddy Adeboye and that was to make sure he told me something. And God made a way that somebody sponsored the album, even though he didn’t do so at the time. I am financing it now. The gospel album is almost done; it’s talking about real life experiences. And there is the Sounds of the Enigma. So it’s probably going to be two or three CDs that will be released the same time.
Could you mention the title of some of the tracks?
Yes. In the gospel album we have Lomi, meaning use me. We have Maalo, meaning go. We have Baba You Too Much. Then in Sounds of the Enigma, we have Arade, Orimi, You Are, Dumiminu, YeYe, Kolongo, etc.
Will the three albums be released at the same time?
That is what we’ve not decided.
Any title for them yet?
No I don’t have a title for the gospel album because that would come from what I hear. That is the part I can’t joke with. I am working on it as I am being led. But the title of the Sound of the Enigma is Ara.
How was it like working with Tuface, whom you featured on one of your tracks?
Working with Tuface was beautiful. You know Tuface is a comedian. And he is so humble, down to earth and very easy to flow with him. We’ve been friends way back. But we had not seen each other in years. It was really nice working with him. We had fun, we had loads of laughter. Tuface nearly killed us with laughter during the audio recording and during the shoot of the video.
You’ve also worked with Stevie Wonder, Wesley Snipes, Wyclef Jean and others. How were you able to break into the international circle?
I wouldn’t say I have really broken into it the way I want to. I would not deceive myself. I have only been lucky to associate with certain people. I met Stevie Wonder in Ghana. I opened an event for him. Then, he invited me to Los Angeles. I featured on his his last album– in 2004. And that was it. He invited me to LA a number of times for other things. Wyclef was in Nigeria; I performed at a welcome party for him. The same thing with Wesley Snipes. I also performed at a welcome party for him. They just fell in love with the act. You know, a female drumming, singing and dancing at the same time . And it’s quite creative and entertaining. I also performed with All For One and Doggy Fresh
Given our environment, as a lady drummer, where do you draw the line between drumming and the fact that you are a lady?
Once I handle that drum, I forget my gender. I don’t consider the difference between being a female and a male. In my world, I mean the Ara world, the world of the enigma, there is no gender because I switch. When I am drumming am like a man; and when I start dancing, I am like a woman because I have all the attributes. I have all the right things in the right place. So when I drum, you see a man; when I am dancing, you see a woman. So, one can say I am a man-woman or a woman-man. There is no gender as far as am concerned.
You mean you don’t draw the line?
I don’t need to draw the line. I just switch; I do what I love doing and make my audience happy.
What is behind the Ara mystique?
I don’t know. Some people refer to me as mammy water (mermaid). Some people refer to me as Omo-Olokun (water goddes). I acknowledge all of these greetings. People address me differently. I am a different person to different people, depending on what side of me you want to see.
Who then are you? How do you see yourself?
Ara is still a mystery to me. Ara has not even started. There is so much that I have not been given the opportunity to pursue because Ara has a lot. Ara is going far in every area of entertainment, in music and even in politics as it affects the people. SoI have a big role to play on a bigger stage. I don’t even know my identity. So let’s all pray for Ara and watch out for what she has to offer in 2013 and beyond.
What inspires your art?
All of this come from the spiritual realm. Let’s not deceive ourselves; none of these is physical. I draw my inspiration from far beyond and nature. And if you speak to most talented people, they will say the same thing. I see things. Sometimes, a song may come at very odd hours; you just hear a song from nowhere and then you put it down, start recording it on your system. It doesn’t happen to everybody, just a few among those of us that are in that category. And of course, you know that every singer is an angel of God, a prophet. As a singer, you are given this gift for a reason and a purpose.
You just said you don’t know why you act the way you do. Then why are you Ara?
That’s is a very big question. And I think the answer is not far-fetched. It is because things were predestined. Before I was even conceived, I am sure there was a plan by the father of all creation to bring forth this vehicle. And for everything, there is a purpose. I believe Ara is there for a purpose. Like I said, I can’t answer that question. I just know that Ara is a bundle of talent and she is a different human being. And there there are many different parts of Ara that I don’t even know
How has the environment in which you grew up influence your career?
I started drumming from a very early age. I was the head drummer in my primary school in Warri, that is Nana Primary School. And I was also the head drummer in my secondary school. The talking drum only came about fifteen to sixteen years ago. Every other part of drumming that I know started when I was before I was 10.
You are very popular abroad. Why the acceptance abroad?
Civilisation has taken most part of our culture from us as Africans. That is not to say that civilisation is bad. It’s good. It’s just that we have allowed it to overtake the precious culture and heritage that we have. Most people have a culture of their own abroad. But as far as am concerned, mine is superior. And because Ara represents our culture in a very cosmopolitan manner, it is easy for them to understand my culture. For instance, at my most recent concerts, I stopped wearing adire, ankara and stuff like that. I was just trying to prove a point. Once they see me in my traditional outfit, they will say we know where she is coming from. I am trying to say that Ara represents our culture in a very cosmopolitan manner without losing the African motif. I wear my foreign clothes and hair. It’s just a way of reinventing Ara. Reinventing oneself is crucial for every point and stage in life.
Ara is in a realm of her own,; you cannot categorise Ara as hip-hop, Afro hip-hop, Afrobeat or any of the genres of music. Ara is in a world of her own. Some people even refer to Ara as a goddess. They might not be far from the truth. Talking about international acceptance, it is something that makes me happy because I am showcasing my precious heritage, talent and culture to people of other cultures and they love it. And so with that, I have made it easy for them to have access to me. When they see me in my African dresses, they are attracted.
Do you still wear long braids?
I still do, but rarely now. You see different hairstyles on Ara these days
Why were you wearing it then?
It was- and is still- part of my signature. I wore it then because that was the hair I created and I told myself it has to go with my name. My identity has to go with my name, which is Ara. Nobody has done such long braids. It takes a very long time to get the hair braided, with six people pulling at my hair for over ten hours. So I have already proved that point. I don’t need to prove myself anymore
How have you been able to blend the western and the traditional?
I think it’s my musical background. I grew up in a house where music was cherished and appreciated. My father listened to all kinds of music from Ebenezer Obey, King Sunny Ade, I.K Dairo, Comfort Omoge to Boney M, Abba, Bob Marley; a wide range. And my elder brothers listened to music quite a lot. So I got absolved into that at a very early age. So my formative years were actually shaped by music of the likes of Michael Jackson, Boney M, Abba. And I listen to all kinds of music, whether it’s western or traditional, modern or ancient.
Could you speak bout your acting and your movie, Osunfunke?
Acting is something I am also passionate about. My movie, Osunfunke, is being directed by Deejay T and co-directed by Mr Kola Olaiya. I am producing it with the support of the State of Osun.
Who is playing Osunfunke?
I am Osunfunke.
When are you rolling tape?
We are rolling tape 5 February in Oshogbo. The locations are Oshogbo and Lagos.
When should your fans expect the movie?
My fans should expect the movie very soon. And it will be premiered during the next Osun Oshogbo festival. Definitely we are going to take the movie on a tour of the United States, France and UK, with Ara in concert.
Drummimg acting, singing, music. Which is your first love?
I don’t know. They are interwoven.