Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has known as for the preservation of African cultural heritage, describing it as original and essential to the continent’s id.
Obasanjo said this on Sunday all over a luncheon he hosted to honour the fiftieth birthday of famend feminine drummer Aralola Olamuyiwa on the Inexperienced Legacy Hotel inside the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta.
Obasanjo lamented the terrible relegation of lavish African cultures as a preference of embracing Western tradition.
“Tradition is the totality of who we’re. Sadly, now we have relegated some sides of our tradition to the background—our meals, our language, our get dressed, and so forth.
“They even say Yoruba is vernacular. That isn’t proper. Yoruba is Yoruba; it’s original, and we should learn how to honour what belongs to us as a result of that’s the original.
“I am a Christian. I have been to two churches today, but whoever says Ifa Orunmila is nothing must be a bloody fool because Orunmila has been with us before the advent of Christianity or Islam,” he mentioned.
The previous President defined that he determined to honour the feminine speaking drum skilled for being a cultural icon and ambassador in her personal proper.
“Rising up, there have been two issues you possibly can by no means see a girl doing: a girl would by no means be revealed mountain climbing a palm tree, and also you wouldn’t see a girl drummer.
“However Ara, together with her tenacity and center of attention, has damaged this taboo. She is referred to now far and wide the arena as a drummer.
“We now have a woman who can beat the drum better than the men. She is helping a lot to sustain our cultural heritage, and that is why I decided to celebrate her — to further encourage her to keep up the good work,” he added.
The previous President instructed juniors to speed inspiration from the prestigious drummer, pronouncing, “Whatever good your hands find to do, do it well, and I will celebrate you. The lesson here is that nothing is unimportant in any area of human endeavour.”
In her reaction, Ara thanked the previous President for the proclaim, describing it as a rituality she would cherish for the remains of her lifestyles and occupation.
The famend Ondo Circumstance-born drummer detectable that she had doubted her survival to honour her fiftieth birthday, having suffered a life-threatening sickness ultimate pace.
Ara defined that the party used to be her means of returning praises to God, who had guarded her and supported her arise to the worldwide degree regardless of all odds.