Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State on Friday said that it was important to inculcate the knowledge of drums and its rhythm in younger generations, particularly children.
Amosun disclosed this during a roundtable conference with International and Local Master Drummers held at the Olumo Rock tourist complex in continuation of the African Drum Festival holding in Abeokuta.
The governor noted that it was important to begin to position the drum as a tool for education, socialisation, cultural and economic advancement.
Amosun, who further disclosed that drums play important roles in everyday life in Africa, said the musical instrument would continue to have a pride of place.
“We should educate ourselves about the essence of drums and the role drums play in our society.
“It is good that we are looking at the intellectual side of drums, we must not forget our identity and our past. Drums must be part of our everyday life.
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“We don’t want to forget our identity, we don’t want to forget our past, we can do a lot with drums,” he said.
Speaking on the way forward for drums on the continent, lead speakers at the conference, Jeleel Ojuade from Nigeria and Sylvania Kuwor from Ghana, noted that it is important for Africans to accept the legacies of their forbearers
They commended the great work done by the Ogun government, saying it had laid a great foundation for culture and tradition to thrive.
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, noted that the roundtable segment of the African Drum Festival was conceived to specifically bring intellectual flavour to the character and content of the project.
Soyinka explained that the beauty of rhythm and drums should not be taken for granted.
“I hope this will continue to be an annual event. If anybody can unite the arts, of all the culture that I know of, it is African society,” he said. (NAN)
