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Drummers, often tucked away behind the kit, don’t bask in the limelight like the lead singer, the flamboyant guitarist or pianist, yet their role is pivotal, irreplaceable, and deeply influential in musical compositions.
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Drummer Adeniyi Adekoya’s, like every other drummer, is tucked behind the music video of Adedoyin Oseni’s “Jelenke iLife”, a calm, mesmerizing gospel song. Yet his contribution is remarkable. While Oseni leads with his soprano saxophone in praises of the Almighty God, Adekoya’s sleek drumming style compliments the music to make it more exciting and enjoyable.
At the 14-19 minute mark in the live recording session of the video on YouTube, the camera pans on Adekoya. We see him smiling as he plays the drum set. When the camera focuses on the stage, we see Oseni and the backup singers joyfully swaying to the melodious drum.
The beauty of his drumming lies in its subtlety. Adekoya drums with the delicacy of an expert to make sure the drum doesn’t overshadow other instruments like the guitar, keyboard, and even the talking drum. This collaborative nature shows us that greatness in music isn’t always about standing out but about making everyone else shine.
With his steady, rhythmic drumming, Adekoya, in collaboration with other instrumentalists, makes “Jelenke iLife” an exceptional gospel song with a feel-good mood.
Jelenke, if loosely translated, means easy or gentle. Adekoya’s drumming pattern tells us that easy does it in the presence of the Almighty.
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