Transcription Credit: Francis Oluwapelumi 

In this Interview, Ayanwale Lawrence, a final-year student of Arts and Social Sciences Education, Faculty of Education, shared with IndyPress how he has, with over two decades of experience in the music industry, built a distinguished career as a professional talking drummer, having performed within Nigeria and across some African countries.

Good evening sir. Could you introduce yourself?

I’m Lawrence Ayanwale Oyekola.

You are a drummer and also an artist. You play for musicians. So, since when have you been playing?

I’ve been in this music industry for the past 23 years.

Can you elaborate on the nature of your profession?

I’ve played for different musicians both in this country and outside the country. I’ve played in African countries like Ghana, Togo, Benin Republic, and Cotonou.

What I do in this industry is that I play the talking drum. I play for Juju, highlife, and sometimes I play reggae for musicians in Ghana.

I’ve played for musicians like Olorunkosobe (he sings at Mountain of Baba Abiye), Ayegbayo Kakaki who stays in Osogbo, Adetarget in Lagos State, Alata of Alara, and different other musicians. I’m still currently in the industry. I have not retired.

Do these musicians not have their own drummers, or why is it that they hire you?

They have their bands, but they call on me whenever they have a huge event, where I take the lead and their band backs up.

Why do they hire you? What distinguishes you from others?

The reason why they hire or call me is because everybody has the best niche where he can perform well. They call me because they see that I have the best technique.

So it means there are also drummers that lead the drumming aspect?

Yes. God has given me the grace to work. I’m a native of Osun State. I was the PRO at the state level for APDAN — All Professional Drummers Association of Nigeria. We have the association at the federal level (the national), state, and local government, each with its executives. I served as PRO for 6 years at the state level. And I’m currently the Chairman of my APDAN local government (Ejigbo Local Government) in Osun State.

So, how many states have you played in Nigeria?

I’ve played majorly in all the states in the Southwest. I’ve also played in states like Benue, Port Harcourt, and Kogi State.

What are the challenges you’ve faced in this profession?

There are so many challenges in the music industry.You can’t go to all parties and come back with a smiling face.

Challenges like money — you may have raised your hope of being given 50 thousand naira, but you may later end up with 10 thousand naira. This may cause depression. Another challenge is feeding. I used to feed myself before going to a party because our hope is mainly the money, so we may end up not eating.

The biggest challenge we face is the issue of violence from thugs. They sometimes come at the end of the party claiming they want to have their share of the money given to us. They may end up bringing guns, breaking bottles, and all of that.

I thank God that in the past 23 years I’ve been in this profession, I’ve never had an accident, although it happens to some of our colleagues. Some have died, some got hurt, but it has never happened to me.

How do you deal with money sprayed on you at parties?

There have been cases like that. In fact, there has not been any case where I attend a party and they will not spray me money. Money sprayed on me is personally mine; nobody can tamper with it.

Although, there is what we call expenses. Expenses are what they give to us before the party, and after the party the musician will ask me the amount of money I want to collect.

There’s a particular party coming up on December 5. The people and the musicians are from abroad. I’ve been paid the sum of 50 thousand naira as expenses.

Is there always a contractual agreement before you embark on a journey?

Yes, there are some events like that, based on agreement.

And there are some musicians that will ask for both expenses and workmanship when they call an outsider to play for them.

For instance, there is one man called Falope Junior in Osun State, a very famous musician, who usually asks for the amount I’d collect before the party, and we’d discuss the amount he would give me. If it turns out that he earns less than the money agreed upon or he earns more millions, that’s none of my concern. He will give me the money agreed upon.

Could you make a clarification on when you started playing? Because you said you’ve been playing for 23 years. Is it when you were young or when exactly?

I inherited drumming from my parents. My father is a drummer. We inherit drumming in my family. My mum’s family lineage are also drummers, which means both my parents’ lineages are drummers.

I’ve been in the line of drumming since Primary Five, when I was just a follower of the older drummers. I wasn’t given the stage at that time. But I used to follow them to burial ceremonies, engagement ceremonies, introductions, where I played for them. From there, I kept improving.

I played as a stage drummer for Amos Durodola, who was my first client that paid me.

How did that happen? I mean, how did you get connected to him?

He had been seeing me playing in the church for various programmes, so that made him ask if I could play for him, which I said I would try my best. I did, I played, and God performed His work.The performance was very good.

I must really appreciate you for your time