Master storyteller · Lexington, NC
Where the drum speaks and the story lives
Bringing the Yoruba oral tradition to life through folktales, rhythm, and audience participation — for schools, festivals, and cultural gatherings.
Chief Obakunle Akinlana
Babalowo, Master storyteller, musician, artist and craftsman, farmer, festival producer.
Chief Obakunle Akinlana is a storyteller, percussionist, and cultural educator rooted in the Yoruba traditions of Southwest Nigeria. Born in Atlanta and based in Lexington, he has spent more than five decades bringing African oral tradition into schools, festivals, universities, and community spaces.
He travels annually to West Africa to learn directly from griots and musicians — carrying those stories back and placing them in the hands of new audiences.
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