From Local Drums in Eti Osa to Global Stages: How Darey Conga Became a Global Sensation

Long before international festivals, award stages and performances across the United Kingdom, there was a young boy in Eti Osa, Lagos, captivated by the sound of drums. While many children were drawn to football fields or television screens, Qudus Oluwadamilare Rasaq found himself fascinated by rhythm. The conversations between the bata, the talking drum, the […]

Long before international festivals, award stages and performances across the United Kingdom, there was a young boy in Eti Osa, Lagos, captivated by the sound of drums.

While many children were drawn to football fields or television screens, Qudus Oluwadamilare Rasaq found himself fascinated by rhythm. The conversations between the bata, the talking drum, the conga and the djembe were more than music to him. They were stories, traditions and expressions of identity. Those sounds became the foundation of a journey that would eventually take him from neighbourhood performances in Lagos to audiences thousands of miles away.

Today, the world knows him as Darey Conga, a Nigerian cultural instrumentalist whose performances have introduced African percussion to international audiences. Yet his story is one built not on overnight success but on years of discipline, consistency and an unwavering belief in the power of culture.

Growing up in Eti Osa Local Government Area, Lagos, Darey was surrounded by the vibrant sounds that define one of Nigeria’s most culturally active cities. Festivals, churches, family celebrations and community gatherings all became classrooms where he quietly absorbed the rhythms that would later shape his career.

His fascination with traditional percussion deepened during his years at Lagos State Model College, Badore. Even as a student, music was no longer simply a hobby. It had become a purpose. He spent countless hours learning the techniques behind indigenous instruments, understanding not just how to play them, but also the cultural meanings they carried.

Unlike many young musicians who focused exclusively on contemporary sounds, Darey found himself returning repeatedly to traditional African percussion. The bata drum, in particular, became central to his artistic identity. Its ability to communicate emotion, tell stories and connect communities fascinated him, and mastering it became a personal mission.

That commitment continued at Kwara State University, where he studied Mass Communication. While pursuing his degree, he steadily built his reputation as a percussionist, balancing academics with performances that introduced him to wider audiences. By the time he graduated in 2020, he had already begun establishing himself within Nigeria’s gospel and cultural music community.

His professional breakthrough, however, came years earlier. Launching his career in 2017, Darey quickly became recognised for something increasingly rare in modern entertainment: authenticity. Rather than abandoning traditional sounds in pursuit of commercial trends, he chose to elevate them.

His performances soon attracted respected gospel artists and musicians who recognised both his technical ability and his understanding of African musical heritage. Collaborations with Sonnie Badu, Kaestrings, Chevelle Franklyn, Adedoyin Oseni, Warehouse Worship and other notable performers expanded his reach while reinforcing his reputation as one of Nigeria’s leading cultural instrumentalists.

As opportunities multiplied, so did his ambitions.

Relocating to the United Kingdom marked a defining chapter in his journey. It was more than a geographical move. It was an opportunity to introduce African percussion to audiences who had never experienced its depth, spirituality and storytelling traditions.

Whether performing at multicultural festivals, worship gatherings or cultural celebrations, Darey brought the same instruments he first embraced in Lagos to entirely new audiences. His performances became cultural exchanges where rhythm replaced language and tradition transcended borders.

One of those defining moments came during the Chinese New Year Festival in Sheffield. Performing on the bata drum before an international audience, Darey demonstrated that African percussion could captivate people regardless of nationality or culture. Through rhythm, movement and audience participation, he transformed a traditional Yoruba performance into a shared global experience.

Recognition soon followed. In July 2025, he received the Diaspora Cultural Drummer of the Year award at the Eko Heritage Awards in Lagos, honouring his role in promoting Nigerian cultural music beyond Africa’s borders. The award reflected years of dedication to preserving tradition while introducing it to new audiences around the world.

Despite the growing recognition, Darey’s philosophy remains unchanged. He believes music is a universal language capable of connecting people irrespective of race, religion or nationality. Every performance reflects that belief, combining technical excellence with cultural authenticity.

His journey also mirrors the wider story of African music today. As Afrobeats continues to dominate global charts, artists like Darey Conga are ensuring that the traditional rhythms which laid the foundation for modern African music receive equal recognition. By carrying indigenous percussion onto international stages, he reminds audiences that Africa’s musical identity extends far beyond contemporary pop.

From the local communities of Eti Osa to concert halls and cultural festivals across the United Kingdom, Darey Conga has remained true to the rhythms that first inspired him. His story is proof that global success does not always begin in grand theatres or prestigious conservatories. Sometimes it begins with a young boy listening closely to the beat of a local drum and daring to believe that one day, the world would listen too.