Ayanbirin

Tosin Olakanye,popularly known as Ayanbinrin is a woman in a man's world who not only sings, dances, and chants (Ijala), but also plays the talking drum (Gangan).She is an indigene of Ondo State and the eldest child in a family of four, attended State Primary School, Dopemu and Egbado College Ilaro (now YEWA College). She is a Chemical and Polymer Engineering graduate of Lagos State University and intends to pursue her Masters Degree in an Art related field.

The word Ayanbinrin simply means a female drummer.She started her journey into the world of music at an early age, but never took it seriously until 1999 when she gained admission to Lagos State University for a pre-degree Programme where she joined a traditional group called Landmark Folk voices.

Her musical art exhibits a typical African theatrical fashion, which expresses a blend of old folk songs, and the new, to suit this modern age without loosing its mellifluous and delightful originality.Few artists have been as crucial to the inventions, development and popularization of African Music which has been relegated to the background, but Ayanbinrin digs the roots with her creativity in Ijala, and bata-choreographed dance steps which resonates African traditional values and heritage.She plays seasoned African Rythms with her melodious vocal prowess and the lyrics of her songs dwell on love, tales, and unisms that echoe African Cultural history. Ayanbinrin's zeal for culture has raised her hope to a height beyond imagination as she believes in proven success. She is determined to climb every mountain, search high and low, follow every hill till her dream to become one of the most highly rated musicians in the history of Africa.Ayanbinrin sings in Yoruba, English and also in Ondo, her native dialect.

Ayanbinrin learnt the rudiments of drumming in 2003 although it runs in the family,her paternal grandmother's family come from a line of professional drummers and except for her late grandmother who did not take delight in the trade, her brother did. Her grandma's immediate kid brother was the leader of the Association of talking drummers, of their time, in Ondo and her father as a lover of good music also help her developed interest in folk music.Thus the art has made Ayanbinrin a performer of note as her dexterity at playing numerous African percussions, especially the talking drum and Iya Ilu has attracted masses to her concerts at venues across Nigeria.She has featured prominently in concerts, occasions, and several publications, reports, and articles in the media.

Her costume oozes a fashion sense intended to bring out the inner beauty of the African people as we are are black and beautiful. Her colourful costumes are mainly African attires like Aso Oke, Kampala, Kente, Damask, and Ankara designed with cowries.She aspires to dominate the African Musical Scene with her unique fusion of traditional rhythms and also to be recorded in the history as the most exciting female talking drummer of renowned capability from the continent of Africa who contributed to the promotion of African culture.