Six-year-old gangan (Talking Drum) drummer, Sofiat Olaide, on Thursday thrilled Nigerians during her drumming performance in Lagos.
Olaide performed during the commemoration the 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 at another time, performed with the first female professional gan-gan drummer, Aralola Olumuyiwa (Ara).
Morenikeji Olaide, young Olaide’s mother, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), 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 said she noticed her daughter’s interest in drumming at the age of three when she would always drum on 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 on 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 NAN that she just found herself loving and playing drum. She said it is a gift from God.
She said she would continue improving her skills in drumming, remain focused and be a great figure to reckon on when it comes to drum performance.
Mr Samson Adeleke, Olaide’s drum instructor, descibed her as an intelligent and focused little girl.
Adeleke said 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)