In the Oluronbi Musical, staged at Terra Kulture from December 26 to 29, 2020, director Bolanle Austen-Peters brought the classic Yoruba folktale to life with her signature blend of cultural heritage and spectacle. Yet it was the musical architecture anchored by Music Director Kehinde Oretimehin that truly shaped the emotional rhythm and mythic dimension of the show.

Oretimehin, a respected figure in Nigerian theatre and choral production, led the sonic vision of the piece, balancing tradition with theatrical sophistication. Under his direction, Oluronbi’s score moved seamlessly between ancestral rhythms, contemporary harmony, and dynamic vocal arrangements.

Supporting his vision were two rising co-composers: Tayhmie Black (Temiloluwa Maraiyesa) and Rhookcastle (Tobi Adegbite). Both played vital roles in crafting the choral builds and transitional cues that formed the heart of the show’s emotional structure.

Tayhmie Black, also credited as a performer, contributed ambient layers and underscoring motifs that deepened the spiritual tone of several scenes. Her background in Afrocentric sound design gave a subtle, textural richness to the production particularly in moments of ritual and transformation. Rhookcastle, meanwhile, brought his keen sense for melodic tension, enhancing key narrative pivots through cleverly layered harmonic progressions.

The collaboration between Oretimehin and his co-composers resulted in a score that never felt ornamental music was deeply embedded in the story’s movement, mood, and mythos. Together, the trio shaped a sonic identity that respected Yoruba musical idioms while elevating them through contemporary arrangement.

The Oluronbi Musical may have been a visual triumph, but it was its layered sound directed by Oretimehin and co-composed by voices like Tayhmie and Rhookcastle that carried the audience into the timelessness of the tale.