The Mic and Stage with Mohammed Ramon Ajani

Graduating as the best student in the department of English Language and Political Science respectively, Ajani is currently studying Yoruba language at the department of Linguistics and African languages, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. Ajani is a prestigious Yorúbá chanter. Through the chants, he educates, entertains and tells a story. He is an Ìjálà exponent. Ajani has a great passion for knowledge and one of his advocacies is to make what he knows, available to others in order for them to benefit. Àjàní Akèwí Concept organized the first-ever chanting seminar tagged ÓYÓ CHANTERS

SEMINAR in order to bridge the gap of knowledge and bring transformation in the field of Ewi.

Awards and Innovation

Ajani has won many awards and championed many competitions in Nigeria. He championed the Oriki Iwo competition organized by omo-oba Diekola Adefowope in Iwo and this earned him a lot of recognitions and commendations from the audience including the Oluwo of Iwo land. He was also the second runner-up in the Ewa Ede competition in Abeokuta, 2022.

Movies and On-air? Thought Chanting was the deal?

I have been featured in a number of cultural films like “Owo” produced by Talent Media TV. I have also been invited as a guest to a number of radio stations in the Southwest as a guest. I take my chanting wherever it calls me. As long as I pass the knowledge across, then that’s fine.

What is the Inspiration behind FÁSÍTÌ ÌJÁLÁ?

FÁSÍTÌ ÌJÁLÁ is a unique platform for people who want to learn the art of chanting. It is both for people who already have the skills and just need to hone them and also for people who have taken an interest in chanting and have no idea where to start.

The aim of FÁSÍTÌ ÌJÁLÁ is to blend culture and education. I am a unique creative who is not trying to conform to the trends of poetry, especially Spoken Word Poetry, and my chanting has placed me in the midst of elites and academia.

Do you have a Muse?

My creative process is motivated by what is happening around me, and more often than not, I get my inspiration from God. Cliché, yes, but it’s true. Preparing for a chant is both stressful and fun at the same time. Whenever I want to have it done, I start by itemizing what I need. Waiting to have all the required resources is not ideal for me, so I always begin with whatever I have at the time with the mindset of success.

Have you ever Experienced the Creative Bloc?

I usually do a number of things to boost my creativity: research, reading, asking a lot of questions because no man is an island and watching the works of legends in my field.

What are Your Top Three Projects?

Organizing the first-ever chanting seminar in southwest Nigeria is one of my lifelong ambitions and I am glad I was able to accomplish it. It was a dream come true, bringing the Yoruba culture to the literary sphere, combining education and culture. It is one of my biggest achievements and projects.

The Ìyèrè Ifá chant I titled as Orí that I did for Muyiwa Ademola, Authentic to promote his newly released film, is another one. A number of my fans really loved it. It receives both commendations and criticisms, which I love so much as it helps me know things better and work better on future projects.

And the third is the RÁRÀ I did for the new Alaafin of Oyo. This particular project garnered a lot of admiration and attention to the point that people who have no means to be online listened to it on the radio and kept on asking me for the cost of the song and where they could get it.

Do you have any Special Projects you’re Currently Working on?

First off, all my projects are special. I have a number of beautiful projects on the ground, but the wherewithal is the problem. But like I said earlier, I never wait for all my materials to be

complete. Also, I have this dream of having my own chanting school, personal studio for production, equipment for documentary, among others.