Musical Belongings V. lautten compagney BERLIN trifft Talking Drums aus Nigeria

In the organizer's words:

TALKING DRUMS: NIGERIA lautten compagney BERLIN feat. Aralola Olamuiywa & Band.

With its project TALKING DRUMS: NIGERIA, lautten compagney BERLIN explores the possibilities of music beyond the colonial canon, which continues unquestioningly in generalized terms such as "African music". The procedures of so-called "early music" from Europe show parallels to West African playing practices, which can be exemplified by techniques such as ostinato/riff, call and response and hoketus/interlocking. The project explores common sources and differences in a one-week workshop and two concerts at the Humboldt Forum.

The focus is on two musical traditions: the music of the Yoruba people in Nigeria with their advanced percussion culture and the compositions of Charles Ignatius Sancho, who was the first black composer to perform in London at the end of the 18th century and who exercised the British right to vote.one of the musicians who keep the rich heritage of the TALKING DRUMS alive is Aralola Olamuyiwa a.k.a Ara, famous as the "Queen of the Talking Drums". She is regarded as the first woman in Nigeria to gain worldwide recognition in the male-dominated world of percussion and acts as a cultural ambassador for the Ooni of Ife and Yoruba culture. She is not only a drummer, but also a singer and entertainer. She is coming to Berlin with a three-piece percussion ensemble consisting of the bata, omele and dundun drums.

The so-called "speech drums" of West African cultures were used as tools of daily communication, often had the function of message drums and were able to reproduce the pitches of tonal languages. In today's use, the drums are more ritualistic and have religious-ceremonial significance.

The contemporary interpretation and queer reading of Yoruba mythology plays a major role in the literary work of Logan February. Born in 1999 in Amambra, Nigeria, the poet and essayist will respond to songs and stories from the talking drum tradition with texts and reflections and explore their linguistic character.

PARTICIPANTS

Ara - Lola Olamuyiwa

Sesan

Gbade

Muta oni bata Ara

Logan February

Lautten Compagney Berlin

Lola Olamuyiwa, known by her stage name "Ara" - the Queen of Culture, is the first female talking drummer of international renown. She has revolutionized the art of drumming by breaking a centuries-old African tradition that reserved drumming for men. Ara's performances are full of passion, electrifying dance, powerful vocals, captivating drumming and impressive stagecraft that leaves her audiences enthralled and wanting more, and she has performed alongside international superstars around the world, from Nigeria to the USA, Jamaica, India, the UK, China, France, Ghana, Canada, Spain and many other countries. Most notably, Ara has recorded and performed with music legend Stevie Wonder on his album "A Time to Love" and has also shared the stage with renowned artists including Wyclef Jean, Wizkid, Davido, Wesley Snipes, All-4-One, Femi Kuti, King Sunny Ade, Angélique Kidjo, Teni, Olamide, Tiwa Savage, Seun Kuti, D'banj, 2Baba, Made Kuti and many more.Affectionately known as "The Queen of Culture", Ara is the founder and managing director of the Ara Drum Heritage Center. When she is not on stage, she is passionately dedicated to promoting the beauty of African culture and tradition and is committed to supporting female talent in the art of drumming.Her unique ability to blend the talking drum with different genres of music such as Afrobeat, Afrobeats, Salsa, Reggae, Dancehall and Classical is truly remarkable.There is no other act in the world like Ara. She is truly an enigma!

Sesan is a professional drummer who plays traditional drums such as the Àpàlà, the Talking Drum, the Omele drum, the Sákárà and the Îyà Ìlù. He has been a member of Ara Entertainment Productions for over 20 years.

Gbade is a professional drummer who plays drums such as the jembe, the conga, the Àpàlà (talking drum), the omele drum and the shekere. He has been a member of Ara Entertainment Productions for over twenty years.

Muta oni bata Ara, as he is affectionately known, is a professional Bàtá and Ìya Bàtá drummer. He has performed with other well-known stars such as Lagbaja and has been a member of Ara Entertainment Productions for ten years.

Logan February, born in 1999 in Anambra, Nigeria, is a non-binary poet, essayist, singer, songwriter and LGBTQ activist. In addition to publications in literary journals, Logan has published three volumes of poetry - How to Cook a Ghost (2017), Painted Blue with Saltwater (2018), Garlands (2019) - and the poetry collection In the Nude (2019), some of which have been translated into Spanish, Italian and Dutch. In 2020, Logan February was awarded the Future Awards Africa Prize for Literature. In spring 2024, Engler Verlag published the anthology "Mental Voodo" in German, English and Yoruba. Logan February was a fellow of the DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program in 2024 and has performed in Berlin at the Afrolution Festival, the African Book Festival, the ILB, the Poetry Festival and the Literary Colloquium. Funded by the "Weltoffenes Berlin" program, Logan February is "poet in residence" at the Humboldt Forum in 2025. Logan February is funded by the "Weltoffenes Berlin" program of the Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion.

- 16,00 € / reduced 8,00 €

- 6 pm: Introduction

- Duration: 90 min

- No language skills required

- Location: Hall 2, ground floor

- Belongs to: Musical Belongings