As the world prepares to mark World Mental Health Day on October 10th, 2023, Lagos is set to host a powerful cultural wellness event that brings together rhythm, mindfulness, and healing. Titled Drums for the Mind, the event will be led by renowned percussionist and cultural wellness advocate Kayode Bamgbose at the iconic Freedom Park on Lagos Island. This upcoming gathering promises to offer more than just performances it will be a vibrant, community-centered experience that reimagines mental health support through the lens of African tradition, sound, and collective expression.
Kayode Bamgbose, widely respected for his deep-rooted expertise in African percussion and his commitment to community healing, is spearheading this initiative to highlight how drumming and cultural practices can be used to support emotional wellbeing, reduce stress, and reconnect people to themselves and to one another. The event is designed as a multisensory journey into wellness, offering attendees a space to reflect, express, and find calm in community. From mental health advocates and artists to students and everyday Lagosians, Drums for the Mind welcomes all who believe in the power of rhythm to restore and transform.
The program will include a rich blend of interactive activities: therapeutic drumming circles, art therapy corners, mindfulness zones, spoken-word performances, and mental health talks by licensed professionals. One of the key moments will be a group affirmation session led by Bamgbose, designed to foster connection and collective healing. Far more than entertainment, the event aims to create a sanctuary of sound and reflection, especially for those navigating emotional challenges in today’s fast-paced world.
A major highlight of the day will be Bamgbose’s keynote address, Beating the Inner Noise: How Rhythm Calms the Storm. In this anticipated session, he will speak on the emotional burdens carried by both creatives and everyday individuals, and how rhythm serves as a healing language when words fall short. “Sometimes my mind is louder than the drum,” he says. “But when I play, the noise softens. I return to myself. That’s what I want others to experience.” Bamgbose will also explore how traditional African drumming serves not just as music, but as a tool of cultural preservation, spiritual grounding, and emotional release.
Supporting the initiative are psychologists and therapists from the Lagos State Ministry of Health and other wellness organizations, who will offer insights into the science of rhythm and mental health. They will explore how communal music-making reduces cortisol levels, boosts dopamine, eases anxiety, and fosters a sense of belonging. Clinical Psychologist Dr. Banji Adesoji, one of the guest speakers, notes: “What Kayode is doing is transformative. Rhythm is more than sound it’s medicine.”
In addition to structured sessions, Drums for the Mind will feature free-form drumming spaces, creative expression zones for painting and journaling, and quiet areas for reflection and emotional check-ins. The event will conclude with a collective chant led by Bamgbose: “Mo wa daadaa. I am well. I am healing. I belong.”a powerful affirmation of personal and communal wellness.
Importantly, this event is part of a broader vision. Bamgbose, in collaboration with NGOs and mental health partners, plans to launch monthly rhythm-and-wellness workshops in underserved communities across Lagos. His goal is to make mental health support more culturally accessible. “Not everyone has access to therapy,” he explains, “but we all have rhythm. It’s inside us. Let’s use it.”
Drums for the Mind is free and open to the public. It will take place on Tuesday, October 10th, 2023, from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM at Freedom Park, Lagos Island. This promises to be a one-of-a-kind event—an invitation to breathe, drum, reflect, and heal. For anyone feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or simply in need of stillness, this gathering offers a joyful and deeply Nigerian path to renewal. Join the movement. Feel the beat. Heal with us.
Source: Vanguard Newspaper