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| DJ Irawo |
PRESS KIT
DJ Ìràwọ̀, the one and only Ìràwọ
Yorùbá Ni Mí is:
v The Dynamic Dùndún Pioneer
v The Drum
Jamming Ìràwọ̀
v The Disc Jockey Ìràwọ̀
v The Talking Drum Amazon
v The Talking Drum Magician
v The Talking Drum Ambassador
ABOUT DJ ÌRÀWỌ̀
DJ Ìràwọ̀ is a multi-talented human being.
She is a singer, drummer, songwriter, disc jockey and recording, performing and performance artist.
Her favourite musical instruments are the Gángan and Ìyá Ìlù which are members of the Dùndún Talking Drum family from the Yorùbá ethnic group of Western Nigeria. She also uses her disc jockey controller to mix beats alongside her talking drums.
Her genre of music is Dynamic Dùndún, which blends the rhythmic heartbeat of the Yorùbá Talking Drums with the energy of diverse music genres, such as Electronic Dance Music (EDM), Afrobeat, Afrobeats, Jazz, Soul, Rock, Folk and Highlife.
She performs in Yorùbá, English and Pidgin English Languages and the core theme of her music is Mental Health.
MUSIC AND PERFORMANCE STYLES
• Genre: Dynamic Dùndún (a fusion of Yorùbá Talking Drum and
multiple music styles)
• Theme: Mental Health
• Performance Options:
vSolo Drumming, Singing and Dancing.
vLive DJ Set with Drumming, Singing and Dancing.
vMusic Band that performs
only DJ Ìràwọ̀'s music.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
• 1989: She started drumming in Junior Secondary School One (JSS 1) at Lagos State Model College, Badore and throughout her secondary school.
• 1994: Immediately after secondary school, she joined the Boys Brigade of Nigeria and specialised in
snare drums.
• 2005: She learnt how to play the Talking Drum under her mother’s tutelage and began her professional music career during her NYSC community development with the Lagos State Cultural Troupe.
• 2007: She earned a scholarship to study music at PEFTI Film Institute and majored in drums set.
• 2009: She registered as a songwriter with the Copyright Society of
Nigeria (COSON) and provided music therapy for the Down Syndrome Foundation of
Nigeria.
• 2012: She authored How to Play the Talking Drum in Seven Days and
pioneered the use of the Yorùbá Dùndún in jazz and classical music at the
Christmas Magi Charity Concert and won the competition.
• 2014: She
was honoured as a Talking Drum Ambassador by Intro Afrika at
the Yorùbá Drum Festival.
• 2015: She was selected as one of six Nigerian DJs to introduce Electronic Dance Music (EDM) to Nigeria in a Live DJ music tour sponsored by Goethe-Institut, Alliance
Française and Institut Français. She was the only female DJ on the project.
• 2018: She earned a certificate in Intellectual Property Law from
Harvard Law School and a Prince2 Project Management certification. She received an
award from Mo-Rainbow Down Syndrome Foundation for her contributions to music
therapy.
• 2022: She was bestowed with the title of Àyàn Àgalú Amazon by the Ọọ̀ni
of Ifẹ̀, Ọba Adéyẹyè Ẹnitàn Ogúnwùsì (Ọjájá II), in recognition of
her contributions to Yorùbá drumming and culture.
• 2024: She launched DJ Ìràwọ̀ Limited, where she manages her writing, music creation, music performances, music business consulting and life coaching in music, career, Yorùbá, divorce and business.
Check out her bio for more information about her education, work experience, career nominations and awards.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
DJ Ìràwọ̀ has performed at jazz festivals, art festivals, drum festivals, music concerts, club raves, musical theatre performances and corporate and private events. Her dynamic stage presence, rhythmic storytelling and masterful drumming have earned her international recognition.
UPCOMING PROJECTS
• Debut Album: She is set to begin recording in April 2025, with an October 1, 2025, release date. This album will feature her signature Dynamic Dùndún style of music.
• Music Tours and Festivals: Upcoming performances at jazz, music, disc jockey, EDM, afrobeats, Yorùbá and drum festivals worldwide.
CONTACT & BOOKING
📧 Email: djirawo@gmail.com
🌐 Website: www.djirawo.com
📱 Social Media:
v Facebook: @djirawo
v Facebook: @irawoyorubanimi
v YouTube: @djirawo
v YouTube: @irawoyorubanimi
v Instagram: @djirawodrums
v Instagram: @irawoyorubanimi
v TikTok: @djirawo
v LinkedIn: @djirawo
v X: @djirawo
📍 Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Email or visit her website for booking inquiries, interviews or collaborations.
DJ Ìràwọ̀ – Pioneer of
Dynamic Dùndún.
Blending tradition with
modern soundscapes for a revolutionary music experience.
People ask me why I am not out there like I
ought to be since I have been performing for a long time.
Shit happens!
My marital mistake got me into this deep
mess.
MY EX-HUSBAND WAS NOT SUPPORTIVE OF MY MUSIC,
WRITING, COACHING AND CONSULTING CAREERS.
He wanted me to continue with my 9-to-5 job so
that he would boast to people that his wife is an accountant and so that he could know where I was at every time.
Even when I did these jobs, I changed jobs frequently because of him because he complained that I stayed at work too late.
As head of the internal audit department of the organisations where I work, what was he expecting? 😠😠
So, every move I made towards my career was a problem for him.
So, I resigned completely to focus on my music.
He began to complain that I worked late again and had to travel too.
So, he asked me to choose between him and my music and of course, I chose my
beloved music and fought him for the custody of our three children.
Initially, he pretended to be supportive at the
beginning of our fourteen years of marriage but time revealed that he is the
greatest enemy of my destiny.
My enemies can only delay the hands of my ticking
clock but they can never delay the shining of my star. -
DJ Ìràwọ̀ (Talking Drum Ambassador; Talking Drum Magician; Talking
Drum Amazon; 5⭐DJ).
After getting a divorce, I could not cope with combining the care of
our three children with performing music because music entails that I keep late
nights and travel often. So, I took my time to care for them.
Now that my first son is a graduate, my second son is a sophomore in a
higher institution and my third son is a boarder in a senior secondary school, I am back to
performing music, writing, coaching and consulting again.
So, I begin again, slowly, steadily but surely.
Below are some of my videos, blog and newspaper
interviews.
Note that anywhere I mentioned that my ex-husband supported me is a LIE.
The lies were just to encourage him to support me to keep a 'happy home' because I knew that the narcissist that I was married to would read my interviews to pick at the loopholes.
Now, I am free to shine my light on the world without restrictions and inhibitions. 💪
VIDEO INTERVIEWS
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Marking World Mental Health Day with Tukura John Daniel on Saturday, October 10, 2020
- How I use the Talking Drum to Play Jazz (2015)
Irawo the Talking Drummer (2015)
The Magic This Time (2012)
Why I dumped my Job for Music (2009)
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