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Portion - universityofafricanart.org

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Before his voice broke the seal<br />

Off waxed cochlea.<br />

With drummed hides,<br />

I possessed not<br />

Any exceptional aptitude,<br />

I had enough attitude<br />

To play passable beats<br />

Which for my bearing<br />

Was good enough if<br />

My audience shook their limbs.<br />

Men learn to crawl first:<br />

Before I could walk<br />

I grew up playing<br />

Beaded gourds and metal gongs,<br />

Two instruments on which they build<br />

Entire rhythms of orchestral timbres.<br />

Before I started<br />

Talking to girls,<br />

Adept was I at playing<br />

Seven percussive instruments,<br />

Which early honed my fingers<br />

For giddy solo takes<br />

In large orchestral jamming.<br />

Alone could I also play<br />

Accompanied by voice<br />

Or by a gong<br />

Or with omele ako, bata and agidigbo,

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