In conversation with Aremo Yusuf, he delves into the rich tradition of Yoruba spoken word performance, highlighting its cultural significance and artistic depth. It explores how this art form blends poetry, music, and storytelling to convey powerful messages and preserve Yoruba heritage. The conversation provides insights into the techniques, themes, and contemporary relevance of Yoruba spoken word, emphasizing its role in both community cohesion and individual expression. Readers will gain an appreciation for the vibrant oral tradition and its impact on modern artistic practices. Click here to watch his performance. Read the conversation we had with him below.
Libretto: Hello, Aremo. We are beyond pleased to have you join us.
Yusuf: Thank you so much for having me. It is my absolute pleasure.
Libretto: What prompted you to become a poet? When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer and how did you work towards actualizing the dream?
Yusuf: Well, it all started with the realisation that I have a story to tell. And it is not just my story, but that of the immediate people around me, the marginalised individuals and the folks who have been left below the pyramid. I feel like I’m a part of them, I feel like my story too begins below the pyramid. Apparently, I crawled out of the mud where so many are left to decay and perish. The only instrument I had was and is still the art. Poetry was that turning point for me to realise that I have a voice and if I do not utilise it to tell the stories that really counts, then that voice might as well be a waste. The need to express authentic stories shaped me into becoming a writer, an artist. And this gift of art is something I’ve found since childhood, it is a gift I’ve been nurturing since I was in primary school. And with the support of my parents who did not make it feel like I was watering the wrong seeds, I got here… And I’m still on the journey of becoming and reinventing.
Libretto: Was your first poem written in English or Yoruba and in what ways is writing a poem in either language different from the other?
Yusuf: My first poem was written in English language. It’s safe to say my earliest poems, for a very long time all came to life in English language. The only in between then was that they came from the perspective of a man who was heavily thinking in the Yoruba Language. So even when you read my English works, you could see the nuances of my culture and roots in them. There is nothing really different about writing a poem in English language or Yoruba language – at the end of the day, they are both languages. What sets it apart for me is the fact that I’m telling stories using Yoruba – a language which heavily informs my identity, my truth and I’m so well accustomed to the nuances. Nothing sounds foreign to me, when I’m writing in the language of my source. Yoruba is my first language, it is the language of my soul. When I express in it, it is flawless. I understand the stated and unstated rules of the language, I equally know the weight embedded in each word. It is not the same for English language, as I was groomed in a formal setting to understand that. And regardless of how much grooming a man undergoes in a bid to understand another man’s language, he will still be left out at certain keypoints. Identity is original, it is not transferred.
Libretto: What drew you to the art of performance poetry, and how do you see it differing from other forms of poetry?
Yusuf: Well, I’ve always had interest in performances, right from childhood. I could still remember miming before the mirror and imitating screen acts, at a very young age. While I did not really think so much of these things back then, those acts definitely informed the process of my becoming. Art for me is a lifelong duty and if there is any other medium I could express with beyond the point at which I am, it is most certain that I’ll explore it. My journey as a page poet to a spoken word poet, to a performance poet is heavily built on experimentation and the need not to be stuck in a hole. I see my poems as my sacred secrets and for everytime I get on a stage to deliver them, life is heavily breathed into them. Performance Poetry affords me that opportunity to tell my truth directly without having to rent a vessel, it gives me the opportunity to channel my emotions into the audience. When I’m on the stage, I’m gifting the audience my sacred offerings. I render confessions, not performances. It is not entirely impossible to perform, our politicians get to do that everyday. Confessing is a different ballgame that requires authenticity and sadly, not everyone is authentic.
On the other hand, I do not see any form of art being superior or deviant from another. I see everything as a medium. Find a medium that works for you and express with it. If the page is all that works for you, awesome. If you decide to take it to the stage, super.
Libretto: How does your Yoruba cultural background influence your poetry and performance style?
Yusuf: Well, my background serves as a large influence to my art. As a person who grew up understanding the potency of herbs and roots as a medium of healing, witnessing the worship of ÒrìṣàÒgún, learning the language of drums directly from home, all of these elements come together to influence my creative process. My realities are heavily present in my writings and performance style.
Libretto: Can you discuss the significance of storytelling in Yoruba culture and how it manifests in your poetic performances?
Yusuf: Storytelling is unarguably key in creating a balance of edutainment – education and entertainment. While listening to moonlight tales and folk stories, one gets humored but life lessons are integrated. Storytelling is a medium of preserving traditions, history and events, while equally passing on the morals of the language in creative manner. I tell stories with my works and they are not just random stories, but stories that falls back to the essence of my culture. I shuffle between the present and past, using storytelling as a device in my art. It helps to weigh how far we’ve come and where we are likely headed, in such an artistic manner that people feel like they are an actual part of the journey. Because truthfully, they have always been a huge part of the journey.
Libretto: What role do traditional Yoruba rhythms and music play in your performances, and how do you integrate them into your poetry?
Yusuf: Yoruba language is naturally a rhythmic language. The presence of àmìohùn (diacritics) in our writings is a testament to that. Music, dance, theatre and poetry is not new to the culture either. It is a fusion that has been existing, right from the primordial times. Hence, it is not forced at all to combine music, theatre, dance into my poetry. As long as the nature and thematic subject of the poem being done is taken into perspective, finding the right songs and theatrics to employ in tune is never a problem. It is a natural elevation of the Yoruba arts, the way it is meant to be done originally.
Libretto: How do you navigate the balance between preserving traditional Yoruba poetic forms and innovating within your craft?
Yusuf: Well, I’m a very experimental artist. I run away from labels because it is a style of locking artists in boxes. It is easy for me to constantly drive towards innovation, even while creating and preserving the language because a language itself can only survive extinction through constant usage by speakers and development influenced by era (orthographic or not). If a language itself can evolve from generation to generation, nothing stops the artist from evolving either. I create works using the existing Yoruba poetic forms but also making it accessible and relatable by people in the present age, without trampling on the original elements. The goal is to sell out O2 Arena, London for Yoruba oral arts. I cannot attempt to do that while living strictly in the past but I also will not discard the past, in a bid to appeal to the present. The plan is to appeal to the future and that is how transcendental arts can be created.
Libretto: Can you share any specific Yoruba proverbs or oral traditions that have inspired or influenced your work as a performance poet?
Yusuf: Well, there are so many oral traditions that have influenced and are still influencing my works. Right from Oríkì, Ẹ̀sà, Ìjálá, Àlọ́, Arò, Àyájọ́, Ọfọ̀, the list are inexhaustible.
Libretto: In what ways do you use your poetry to address contemporary issues within the Yoruba community and the modern notion of what it means to be Yoruba?
Yusuf: Before identifying with a race or religion, I identify as a human, first. Hence, my works largely address contemporary issues that affects the general human world. Vices like rape, corruption, power usurping, cultural degradation, abuse, discrimination are not limited to the Yoruba tribe alone. Hence, I create with a collective mindset, knowing fully well that the nightmares that plagues us is not a thing of a tribe. Everyone gets to pick what speaks to them, at the end of the day (and of course, that is a burden of individual interpretation). I’m more concerned about creating conscious art that addresses the world and the modern nation of what it means to be humans.
Libretto: How do you engage with the audience during your performances to create a meaningful and immersive experience, especially for those who may not understand Yoruba?
Yusuf: For so many years, I battled with the scare of language limitation, everytime I step on the stage. But the moment I realised that art is higher on emotions than intention, it became easier for me. What my art makes you feel is what matters to me and in all honesty, you do not need to understand my language before a feeling is stirred within you. I’ve collaborated with non Nigerian creatives and shared my works on international platforms, without the weight of the message flying off people’s minds. When I’m on a stage, every fold of me is involved in the process. And if you are truly a part of my artistic tribe, then you’ll connect with the energy in my art naturally. When the art speaks to your soul, understanding the language will be simply secondary. I’ve been able to achieve that and I’m most grateful.
Libretto: Can you speak about the importance of language and dialect in your poetry, particularly in preserving the richness of the Yoruba language?
Yusuf: To prevent a language from fading out, it needs to be constantly used by speakers, writers and artists. Beyond the formal teaching of the language which is highly essential, the new generation can be easily drawn into understanding and valuing the language through encountering it in the art they consume. It also goes to enact the fact that the story of a clan can only be accurately told in the language of that clan. What I do with my poetry and writings, what Teledalase Ogundipe does with her music, what Beautiful Nubia does with his music, these things are germane ways of preserving an entire identity. If these works being created do not perish, the language employed will not fade out. If the language does not fade out, people will keep revitalising interest in it and the identity of the speakers remain valid. The ancestry remain valid and history is not burnt out.
Libretto: What challenges have you faced as a Yoruba performance poet, and how have you overcome them?
Yusuf: Well, for every new height, there are new challenges to encounter. From being regarded as fetish, to being tagged “crude”, to being excluded from certain opportunities because of an erroneous perception that indigenously created arts is not marketable, there are numerous ups and downs. But really, if you decide to stop at every point you are hushed to give a response, you’ll not get to your destination in ages. Those who love, listen and embrace my arts unapologetically are always there for me, hence I do not get to dwell on these challenges so much. Instead, I do the things that can be done and deliberately create platforms for myself. Through this, a lot of people with erroneous beliefs are seeing the light, without even being forced to. The magic is in moving, regardless of the odds.
Libretto: What advice would you give to aspiring performance poets looking to hone their craft and make an impact with their work?
Yusuf: If you understand your “why”, it’ll be easy to identify your “how” and stick to it. If you lose sight of your essence, the show is over even before it begins. Understand the rules, disrupt the rules, find your voice, stay true to it. Do not try so hard to be someone else, it is shadow work that ends in chaos. Instead, try to be you, regardless of how long it takes for the world to reckon with you. There is so much fulfilment in walking through the process than jumping ladders. Be keen on growth, do not get enchanted by applause that you remain trapped in a spot. The world is your oyster.
Libretto: Can you discuss any upcoming performances or projects where audiences can experience your Yoruba poetry?
Yusuf: Well, there is so much going on at the moment. But I can emphatically say that my debut Yorùbá poetry album, which will consist of thirteen tracks, is currently in process and should be out, sometimes soon. The title of the album is Kórì and it is one to look out for. More updates on the project and my associated activities can easily be gotten via my Instagram/Twitter handle – @aremogemini.
Libretto: Finally, if the world’s last remaining library was burning, and you could only save three books of great importance to Yoruba culture and heritage, what books would there be?
Yusuf: Everyone should try to make sure the library does not even get to burn in the place. There are so many stellar books, than to pick just three. Alternatively, we should consider documenting the information in these books via audiovisual formats, just in case the library actually burns…lmao.
Aremo Yusuf Àlàbí Balógun, going by the stage name ‘Àrẹ̀mọ Gemini’ is an experimental performance poet, TEDx Speaker and art specialist, with a core focus in Yorùbá arts and culture. Recipient of Horn of Afroclassical Merit Award for excellence in the propagation of arts and culture (2018), his art is guided by so many drives, one of which is to sell out O² Arena, London for Yorùbá oral arts.
Recognised as the First Runner Up of the Grooming Talent Hunt 2020, his craft has received successful acceptance and validation from media houses within Nigeria and outside the shores, including BBC Yorùbá and The Folio Media (Nigerian exclusive affiliate to CNN). He is a self published author of a Yorùbá novel, Ṣẹ̀gílọlá Arómirẹ́Ògìdán and he has so many works to his credits, including a collaboration with South African artiste – Willemien Rust (Beginnes & Eindes) and Nigerian musical artiste, Temmie Ovwasa (Space Fuji).