Our culture is termed barbaric by the western world, says Ara

Aralola Olumuyiwa- better known as Ara- a sensational female drummer, has urged Nigerians not to demonise their culture or see it as barbaric.

Olumuyiwa told NAN on Wednesday in Lagos that irrespective of individual’s religion, culture should be promoted and practiced.

She described culture as a means of identity.

“Our culture is termed barbaric by the western world, though they admire it. It is painful, your culture is your DNA and cowries have been seen as fetish.

“I am in tune with a lot of traditionalists. I see many Americans and Europeans coming to Osogbo to learn Ifa.

“Nigerians are fast losing their identities. We need to be more aware of our culture and ancestors, because culture and tourism are money spinners for us, if we realise it,’’ the female drummer said.

Olumuyiwa urged government to create the enabling environment for private investors in the arts in order to create employment opportunities for the masses.

“Thinking low of our culture is poverty of the mind and inability of people to think deep,” she said.

Olumuyiwa urged parents to encourage their wards to speak their indigenous languages.

She also appealed to school proprietors to set a day in the week aside for children to speak such languages.

The female drummer said on such days, nobody within the school environment should be allowed to speak English.