Aralola Olamuyiwa (born 23 January 1975) who is commonly known by her stage name Ara is a female singer, entertainer, talking drummer and the cultural ambassador of the
Ooni of Ife
The Ooni of Ile-Ife (Ọọ̀ni of Ilè-Ifẹ̀) is the traditional ruler of Ile-Ife and the spiritual head of the Yoruba people. The Ooni dynasty existed before the reign of Oduduwa which historians have argued to have been between the 7th- ...
.
She is the foremost female drummer in
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
.
Widely travelled, she has performed both locally and internationally to critical acclaim, sharing the stage with the legend,
Stevie Wonder, in one of her rapturous performances. In a career spanning four decades, Ara has lived up to her stage name.
She was born in
Lagos State
Lagos State ( yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Èkó) is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Of the 36 states, it is both the most populous and smallest in area. Bounded to the south by the Bight of Benin and to the west by the international border with Ben ...
and hails from
Ondo State
Ondo State ( yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Oǹdó) is a state in southwestern Nigeria. It was created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State. It borders Ekiti State to the north, Kogi State to the northeast, Edo State to the east, Delta State to ...
.
Education
She spent a good part of her childhood in Warri
The city of Warri is an oil hub within South-South Nigeria and houses an annex of the Delta State Government House. Warri City is one of the major hubs of the petroleum industry in Nigeria. Warri and her twin city, Uvwie are the commercial ...
, Delta state, where she attended Nana Primary School, Our Ladies High School, Folashaye Girls Grammar School.University of Ilorin
University of Ilorin, also known as Unilorin, is a federal government-owned university in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. It was established by a decree of the federal military government in August, 1975. The establishment aimed to implement one o ...
as a fresh law student but left and later returned but this time to Ambrose Ali University Ekpoma, Benin
Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the nort ...
, Edo State, where she studied English Language
English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the ...
.[
]
Career
She was born into a music loving family that also appreciated excellence. Her journey into musical excellence began at a tender age and had written her first song before age 10.[
According to her, she started playing drums at the young age of five.
She went from performing at family events and corporate events, to becoming the head drummer and represented her school in many singing and choral competitions in which she won numerous awards. She admitted her love for music was influenced by her father. She also admitted to playing drums during her days in secondary school.][
She came to limelight in 2000 with her first video titled ‘Which one you dey” recorded by Ebenezer studio between 1998 and 1999.]Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
, Olusegun Obasanjo
Chief Olusegun Matthew Okikiola Ogunboye Aremu Obasanjo, , ( ; yo, Olúṣẹ́gun Ọbásanjọ́ ; born 5 March 1937) is a Nigerian political and military leader who served as Nigeria's head of state from 1976 to 1979 and later as its presid ...
, Black Mayors Caucus in America, Evander Holyfield, Wesley Snipes
Wesley Trent Snipes (born July 31, 1962) is an American actor, film producer, and martial artist. His prominent film roles include '' Major League'' (1989), ''New Jack City'' (1991), '' White Men Can't Jump'' (1992), '' Passenger 57'' (1992), '' ...
and Broadway executives. She recently collaborated with 2face Idibia for the remake of Ebenezer Obey's classic “Olomi”.
Personal life
She married her ex-husband, Prince Nurudeen Olalekan Saliu, and has a son with him.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Olamuyiwa, Aralola
1975 births
Nigerian drummers
Living people