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Drummers from 20 African countries and 20 states of the federation will gather between Thursday, April 19 and Saturday, April 21, 2018 to participate in the third edition of the African drum festival in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
The festival, introduced by Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s administration in 2016, is aimed at showcasing the African culture.
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, is one of the prominent personalities to feature in the festival. Also, a 91-year- old drummer and a teenage drummer are among those who had confirmed their participation.
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Soyinka, who spoke through his representative, Mr. Jahman Anikulapo, at the ceremony where the logo of the festival was unveiled, stated: “Drum is not only for entertainment, it’s also used for cultural and socio-economic promotion.
“Drums and Drumming are important features of the African culture that cut across the strata of the continent.
“There is nowhere you don’t have one type of drum or the other and if we are to revive our ideals and ideas as a continent, we must start with a culture that cuts across, which is drumming.’’
Meanwhile, the governor, while unveiling the festival’s logo, assured that this year’s festival would be spiced with a workshop and exhibition.
He said: “The festival will not just be centralised, we will be going to other senatorial districts and other states.”
