I started playing sekere as a small boy during the reign of Alaafin Ladigbolu I

I am Alhaji Jimoh Adebayo, Alusekere Alaafin. Yes, it is important to add the Alusekere Alaafin because that is our family tradition. My forefathers bore the title Ologbo Alusekere, which is conferred on the head of the Alusekere. Only recently, a younger person whose father was next in turn for the title took it up, although the investiture had yet to be done. 

According to history, it was Alaafin Abiodun Atiba (the first Alaafin to be crowned in what is now known as Oyo Town) who brought alusekere from Oyo Ile to this town. There were already drummers in the town before then.

The tradition since then has been that the alusekere goes and play sekere for the Alaafin. That is why we are called Alusekere Alaafin, even as we also go out to play at occasions. 

When the Alaafin has visitors in the palace, we would be duly notified, and we then join the drummers and other music makers to perform for the visitors. If the Alaafin is also going out to some special occasions, we accompany him there. The Alaafin of old hardly left their domains but Alaafin Adeyemi III, who was educated, did and we accompanied him to uncountable events outside of Oyo.

We are not paid salaries, but we are always compensated with cash for our performances for the Alaafin. 

I do not know my age, but I was born when  Alaafin Siyanbola Ladigbolu (Ladigbolu I) was on the throne, and I was among the Alusekere Alaafin then, although I was a small boy and I merely went out with the older Alusekere carrying a small sekere. I was older during the reign of Alaafin Gbadegesin Ladigbolu (Ladigbolu II) and, of course, much older during the reign of Alaafin Olayiwola Adeyemi III. 

Today, I am like the commander of the Alusekere Alaafin, although I have some seniors who are, however, old and cannot go out to perform. 

There is no formal training to become Alusekere Alaafin. The initiation starts from when one is little. The young ones simply follow the older ones to the aafin and other social outings. He starts with the small sekere and moves up to the one I can refer to the standard one. Many of our offspring today are not keen on it; they say they cannot be beggars.

If you see any sekere bigger than the ones the Alusekere Alaafin use, then that one would have been made by those who trade in sekere. You would probably notice that the cowries used in those ones are bigger. We make the ones we use by ourselves here in the Alusekere Compound. The settings of the cowries, called aje, are also markedly different from those ones. The cowries on one row could be between eight and ten but I cannot say how many in total but we can count them, if there is a need to know. It could take about fifteen days to make one sekere. These are our treasures, and we try to protect them as best as possible. We have cases of theft of the sekere. In fact, I used to have two, one was stolen. We are aware that the cowries are used for money rituals by those who claim they know how.

We also do not train anyone that is outside of the Alusekere Compound; no we do not. 

It is our tradition and ours only. 

Now that Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III has joined his ancestors, all we do is wait until the announcement of the next Alaafin. In the meantime, the younger ones among us go to social outings to earn income. 

No, we have nothing to do with the selection of a new Alaafin: it is not our business at all. We are simply Alusekere Alaafin.

One last thing that I think you should know is that while performing for the Alaafin, the Alusekere must have their hats on. So, must the drummers too. 

That, briefly, is the authentic story of Alusekere Alaafin. 

Appreciation to Lanre Adebisi of Old Oyo National Park and Nurudeen Ayoola, an aide to Ayaba Abibat (Iya Lekoto), the first wife of Alaafin Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, for the local facilitations in Oyo.