• Super Admin
• 07 Mar, 2026

LAGOS - On a certain evening in Lagos, the steady rhythm of a Yoruba drum once gathered a small circle of people into quiet attention. They sat together in a loose formation, passing patterns of sound from one player to another. The instrument was the Omele, a traditional drum used in Yoruba musical ensembles. For Timileyin, an entrepreneur and student of Yoruba philosophy, these gatherings gradually became something more than music. They became a space for reflection, conversation and shared rhythm. Timileyin informally called these gatherings Omele circles. There was no strict format. Someone would begin a rhythm, another person would respond, and the sound would move around the room in waves. Conversations emerged naturally between the beats. People spoke about everyday pressures, identity, relationships, and the challenges of modern life in a fast-moving city. Over time, Timileyin noticed something subtle but consistent. "When people sit together and follow a rhythm, something changes. The atmosphere becomes calmer. People begin to listen more carefully to each other.," he says. The experience stayed with him long after those gatherings ended. When Timileyin later moved to the United Kingdom, he found himself exploring a different but related world: the rapidly expanding digital wellness industry. Meditation apps, mindfulness platforms and therapy services were becoming increasingly popular across Europe and North America. Yet as he looked at the space more closely, something felt missing. Most wellness platforms, he noticed, were built on frameworks that reflected only a narrow cultural perspective. "For many people in diaspora communities, wellness does not always look like what you see in most apps. Different cultures have long developed their own ways of thinking about emotional balance, reflection and community connection," Timileyin explains. That observation gradually became the starting point for Amona, a cultural wellness platform that Timileyin is now developing in the UK. The project explores how traditional cultural practices such as rhythm, storytelling and philosophy might be structured within a modern digital environment. Rather than attempting to replicate therapy or meditation, the platform aims to offer a different type of engagement. The concept is to create structured experiences that encourage reflection, rhythm and cultural exploration, allowing users to reconnect with practices that historically supported emotional and social wellbeing in many societies. Timileyin's path to the project reflects a blend of philosophy, culture and entrepreneurship. He studied philosophy at Adekunle Ajasin University in Nigeria, where he developed a deeper engagement with Yoruba intellectual traditions. At the same time, he remained connected to musical practice, particularly with the Omele drum, which plays an Source: https://independent.ng/how-timileyin-ogundares-lagos-drum-circle-inspired-new-approach-to-digital-wellbeing/