Thrills as Ooni hosts 2025 Ayanagalu Drum Festival

The ancient city of Ile-Ife came alive on Thursday as thousands of culture enthusiasts, scholars, students, and traditionalists from across Nigeria and the diaspora gathered at the Courtyard of the Ooni’s Palace for the 2025 Ayanagalu Festival, a two-day celebration of the Yoruba people’s rich drumming heritage.

The Ayanagalu Drum Festival, now in its third consecutive year in its modern form, was spearheaded by the Arole Oduduwa, His Imperial Majesty Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, with a clear objective: to honour Ayan Agalu, the Yoruba deity of the drum, and pass down the spiritual, cultural, and historical value of drumming to the next generation.

Speaking during the grand event, the Ooni highlighted the sacred role of drums in Yoruba cosmology, stressing their utility not just as musical instruments but as core mediums of communication, spirituality, and identity.

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“We believe the drum holds great significance in our daily lives.

“In the olden days, drums were used for virtually everything, whether for good news or in times of war, the drum was the medium of communication,” the monarch said.

He further explained the origin of drumming within Yoruba spirituality, tracing it to Ayan Agalu, who, according to tradition, began his journey from Atiba in Ile-Ife and was revered among the 201 deities of Yoruba land.

“To us, Ayangalu is synonymous with the drum. I drum today for peace, for joy, and for abundant blessings. Since childhood, I have found fulfilment in promoting and preserving this sacred tradition,” the Ooni added.

Speaking on the significance of the festival, Queen Ronke Ademiluyi-Ogunwusi, wife of the Ooni, described the Ayanagalu Drum Festival as a centuries-old tradition that the palace has revived with renewed vigour by integrating modern drummers and youth participation.

“What His Majesty decided to do three years ago was to involve contemporary drummers, the youth. We are merging the ancient and the modern together.

“We know that young people are the next generation, so it needs to be passed on to them. Culture is something we can use to sustain the Nigerian economy, just like the UK grows its GDP from royal culture, we can do the same,” Olori Ronke explained.

She also emphasised the growing international recognition of the festival, citing the annual Drum Festival in Canada, where Yoruba culture continues to gain prominence.

“We are happy that the convener of the Drum Festival in Canada is doing what he is doing, because we don’t want the festival to stay only in Ife, Osun State, or Nigeria. We want it to go global,” she said. “In the next five years, we want to see it not only in Canada, but also in the US, UK, Brazil, Cuba, and other nations where Yoruba heritage exists, there are about 90 million people of African descent in Brazil alone.”

The festival Director, Adewumi Adekunle Elizabeth, reinforced the commitment to youth inclusion and international expansion.

“We brought this festival together because of drummers who plays regularly in the palace. His Majesty called on the Olori about four years ago to begin this formal celebration. It’s now a vital part of our culture,” she noted.

“We, the youth, have been entrusted with it so we can become custodians of this culture in the near future. Our goal is to grow it globally, and bring more people to Ife.”

One of the highlights of the event was the drumming competition, during which the Ooni personally gifted a total of N4.95 million in prizes to winners and performers.

The first-place winner received N1 million, the second-place performer took home N750,000, while the third-place act was awarded N500,000. In addition to the competition prizes, the monarch presented N2 million to the famous Moremi Ensemble, N500,000 to ace drummer Akande Onilu, and N100,000 each to two emerging drummers for their outstanding artistic expressions.

At its core, the Ayan Agalu Festival revolves around the reverence of the drum not only as a musical instrument, but as a symbolic and spiritual tool. It traces the sacred descent of Ayan Agalu near Oduduwa at Atiba, which today remains a cultural hub for traditional drummers in Ile-Ife.

Each year, the festival features an array of Yoruba drums, including Adade, Bata, Sekere, Sakara, Gangan, Agahu, Dundun, and Djembe, each serving unique roles in communication, royal courts, spirituality, and social festivities.

The 2025 edition of the festival witnessed the participation of no fewer than 250 National Youth Service Corps members, students from Obafemi Awolowo University, and contingents from other higher institutions across the South-West.

Also in attendance were scholars, including professors from the departments of Linguistics and Music at OAU, alongside cultural stakeholders and traditional chiefs.