Six Year Old Thrills Audience with Drum Performance

A six-year-old gan-gan drummer, Sofiat Olaide, thrilled Nigerians during her drum performance on Thursday.

Olaide performed during the commemoration day of the African Child, organised by the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), held in Lagos.

The six-year-old, who is in primary one, had a solo performance and also had to perform with the first female gan-gan drummer, Aralola Olumuyiwa (Ara).

Morenikeji Olaide, young Olaide’s mother, in an interview with reporters said, her daughter began drumming at the age of three and decided to enroll her in a drumming school when she was four years old.

She explained that, she noticed her daughter’s interest in drumming when she would always drum at her own volition in the house.

According to her, this drew her attention to the fact that her daughter’s talent in drumming should be futher developed with the engagement of a professional drummer.

“Sofiat drums at her own volition right from when she was three years. I discovered her interest and talent in that and decided to enroll her in a drumming school where she goes after school.

“Her instructor keeps encouraging me due to her improvement in class.

“I look forward to her being like Ara, the first female drummer in Africa,” she said.

Young Olaide told reporters that, she just found herself loving and playing drum.She said it is a gift from God.

Olaide said, she would continue to improve her skills in drumming, remain focused and be a great figure to reckon with when it comes to drum performance.

Mr Samson Adeleke, Olaide’s drum instructor, descibed her as an intelligent and focused little girl.

He added that, in the next five years, the world would be marvelled at the young Olaide’s prowess in drumming as she learns at a very high speed.

“Sofiat pays serious attention in class and picks whatever she is taught quickly without re-emphasising it.”

“This trait also amazes me and it encourages me to teach at her pace.

“Asides that, she is always at alert to learn.”

“She performs extraordinarily well compared to her peers and she has gone ahead of the syllabus due to her fast pace of understanding everything she is taught,” he said.

NAN/ O.O