When the Drums Went Silent: The True Story Behind Yorùbá Strength

At times, what we read or watch in the news is not exactly the way it is; it has been fabricated, and that is why I usually say, Real eyes realize real lies., If we are not there and someone tells us about it, it might not be the exact truth, which has made some of our histories so cunning and funny.

History might tell us something, but it might have been twisted by the teller to suit their perspective, but only a few know the real story. I grew up in the southwest part of Nigeria, and I have heard some stories several times, even until this moment, that some sets of people say that we, the Yorùbá, are not united and that we are divided, and that even our kings are fighting each other because of superiority. But now that I know my right from my left, I always wonder who is behind all this false history and their reasons.

My grandma, of blessed memory, usually sat down outside her compound those days to share with us some real facts different from what history or the internet has been telling these days. She made me and my sisters realize that we, the Yorùbá, are more united than we think and that those wars that happened those days were not because we despised one another but because our forefathers were trying to protect the identity of each kingdom, way of life, and drumbeat. She also told us that even though we are Yorùbás, the way we speak is different, our gods are different, some of our foods and cultures are different, and that was the pride they fought for.

Like one of my favorite rappers, 2Pac, once said, the textbooks we read in school won't show us the real thing we need to know; they hide our culture, our identity, from us. And looking at that being said, when we read some history, it makes our forefathers look dumb, like those who just fought without knowing what unity really entails. Yet, Yorùbás like Oranmiyan, Oduduwa were the ones who built Ile-Ife, Oyo, Edo, and the like, and arts like Oriolokun and some beautiful ancient arts in Oyo, Ife, and Edo were also built a long time ago. Then I asked myself again, if history says my forefathers are not wise and they are always fighting, how come they created that marvelous art that still speaks volumes from that time till today and the white people are always coming to check?

Maybe history left the truth out of the textbook because it was written in English and not Yorùbá. Perhaps our history continues to fade because there has been no proper documentation, which has given more room for fabrication. But to make things right, the ball is always in our court before everything finally goes into extinction. Every time I hear people speak my dialect to the young ones and tell the kids about the ancient history of Yorùbá and our ancestors, I believe that history is being rewritten.

History might not be right at all times; there might be some loopholes, but our memory won't. The world may think that there is no unity amongst us, but in reality, we were wounded, not wrecked. And power was the only conflict between us.

But I hope anytime they share our history, I wish they pay deep attention to the sound and beat of our drums, because that is the only history they cannot mute no matter how they try.

Thank you for reading.

_{Images used is mine}