DELSU JOURNAL OF NATURE, SOCIO-HUMANISTIC AND SCIENTIFIC VALUES

The study redirects how cultural values, norms, and traditional principles shape gender identities and roles in Yoruba society. It also highlights the varied interpretations of the term "relationship" with emphasis on the Ajobi (consanguinity) and Ajogbe (co-residency) model developed by Akinwowo in advocating for female inclusion in the bravura continuity of drumming. This model is considered the most accurate depiction of African relationships, drawing from prehistoric practices within the Yoruba social order. The study suggests that certain practices, such as male children being sole drummers in the Ayan lineage, could threaten tradition, and proposes nurturing female children with drumming talents. Qualitative research method, including ethnography and historical analysis,used in the study advocates the integration of both male and female children as a challengeto resist traditional gender restrictions of females and to enact the idea that gender is not a staticgeneticrealism, but rather a communalconcept that is formed by strict traditionalstandards. Ultimately, extending the Ajobi and Ajogbe ideology to include female children asa strategy to safeguard tradition and foster collaborative relationships within African communities.

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