Drumming New Worlds

Josh Egesi is a visionary designer known for his ability to document culture and convention through various materials. With a passion for art and design, he pushes boundaries and redefines the artistic landscape. Josh blends traditional techniques with innovative approaches, creating thought-provoking pieces that resonate on intellectual and emotional levels. His work, showcased globally, captures the essence of diverse cultures and preserves their heritage. Through extensive research and immersive experiences, he infuses his creations with deep cultural resonance. Josh Egesi's commitment to authenticity and excellence has solidified his position as an influential force in the design world, inspiring meaningful dialogue and leaving an indelible mark on the artistic landscape. 

Orinayo Odubawo is a graduate architect from the University of Lagos. She enjoys traveling and learning about various cultures through design, music, and food. She has won various design competitions both locally and internationally. She recently presented a paper at the University of 
Cambridge while serving as a research assistant at the Institute of African and Diaspora Studies (IADS) at the University of Lagos. She aspires to express her creativity through various mediums as an architect, experience designer, photographer, and writer. She contributed 
creatively to the production and curation of the magazine by writing an article for the African travel publication Irin Journal. Among her areas of interest include the preservation of Nigerian history and culture, the role of women in precolonial African cities, architecture 
and urbanism. 

Ìràwọ̀ Olúwakẹmi Fáḿùgbódé AKA DJ Ìràwọ̀ is an Editor, Musician and Yorùbá Teacher. 
Her dexterity on the Yorùbá family of Talking Drums such as the Dùndún, Bàtá and Sákárà, shapes her Yorùbá language courses where she infuses the primary symbolic language of the drums. 
 
She writes about music and lifestyle on djirawo.com. Her first book is titled How to Play the Talking Drum in Seven Days (2012) and she has presented academic papers such as Gender Discrimination in the Nigerian Music Industry: A Musician's Reflection - Lagos Studies Association Conference, University of Lagos (2023). 
 
She studied music on scholarship at the PEFTI Film Institute and graduated with a distinction as the best stage performer (2008). She has been recognized with various awards for her dexterity on the talking drums such as, The Talking Drum Magician (2012) by The Art Colony  International and the Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON) where she emerged the winner of the 
Christmas Magic Charity Concert and Music Competition;Talking Drum Ambassador (2014) by Intro Afrika, organizers of the Yorùbá Talking Drum Festival; Àyàn Àgalú Amazon (2022) by the Ọọ̀ni of Ilé Ifẹ̀, Ọba Adéyẹyẹ̀ Ẹnitàn Ògúnwùsì (Ọ̀jájá II) at the 2022 edition of the Àyàn Àgalú Drum Festival, Ilé Ifẹ̀, Ọ̀ṣun State.

David Osaodion Odiase, is a storyteller and multi-disciplinary artist who tells conscious African stories through poetry, visual arts, performance, film, docu-poetry, and experimental art forms. 
His poetry films and docu-poetry have made official selections at international film festivals such as the African International Film Festival & Zebra Poetry Festival. He has worked on projects with bodies such as Change.org, The Canadian High Commission, and the National Agency for the Great Green Wall.  David has also graced platforms such as the Open Society Foundation Global Convening for the Restitution of African Heritage in Ghana, Lagos International Poetry Festival, Performed at the Oceanside Theatre San Diego in the USA (virtual), the Green Economy and Environmental Summit at the Nigerian Climate Innovation Center, and the commissioning of the African Quality Assurance Centre, amongst others. 
A 2023 Alumni of the Obsidian Foundation Poetry Retreat in the UK, He has been a top ten entrant of the Nigerian students' poetry prize in 2016, a recipient of the Ekonke African Storytellers prize in 2020, a contributor to the West-Africa to West Oakland poetry exchange in 2021, and amongst others, emerged Winner of the Lacasera National Poetry Slam competition - Spoken Wars, 2022. 
His work extends to community engagements at home and abroad, and He is currently the community manager of TrueMyVoice, a literary community of over 400 storytellers across Nigeria, where he helps groom them to apply their art, as a tool for advocacy and social change.