A Powerful Interview with Yusuf Àlàbí Balógun, popularly known as Àrẹ̀mọ Gemini

We recently had an interview with the amazing performance poet, Yusuf Àlàbí Balógun, known by his stage name Àrẹ̀mọ Gemini. Àrẹ̀mọ Gemini has captivated the hearts of thousands with his content on Yoruba arts and culture, reinforcing our values and bringing light to numerous aspects of Yoruba performance to the world at large.

Àrẹ̀mọ Gemini’s Interview with Discover Yoruba

Let’s dive right in.

• Please tell us your name, qualifications, business (i.e., how you got the idea for your business) and other information, such as your company’s mission statement or core values).

My name is Yusuf Àlàbí Balógun, popularly known as Àrẹ̀mọ Gemini. I’m a bi-lingual creative with a major focus in Yorùbá oral arts, performance poetry, writing and cultural curation. One of my foremost dreams is to sell out O2 Arena, London for Yorùbá oral arts and culture. Even though it appears like a far cry from reality (to many), putting the Yorùbá arts and literature on a global stage is a life mission for me.

• What products or services do you offer?

I offer so many services, ranging from poetry performances, brand campaigns and promotions with poetry, translation and transcription, cultural research, Yorùbá poetry soundtracks (for movie productions et al), among others. My debut Yorùbá novel, Ṣẹ̀gílọlá Arómirẹ́ Ògìdán, is also available for global purchase at Rovingheights bookstore.

• What problem does your product/service solve for customers?

The end goal of my drive is language preservation and the retention of cultural values. So many people, from the existing generation and the new generation coming through, are completely out of touch with the Yorùbá language and heritage. They are not just oblivious of the language but also unaware of the core Ọmọlúwàbí principles, which has degenerated into a chaotic society where folks move about with incomplete or zero knowledge of their identity.

Language-based arts have a proven way of ensuring that people stay in touch with their roots, retrace their steps to having an understanding of the language and hence key into identity as it should originally be. There is so much preserved in my art that would be priceless for the new generation; they will have access to literature that is heavy on their mother’s tongue, one that transcends time yet retains ethics. For a language that we do not want to go extinct in the next few years, it is safe to say that there is so much that everyone of us can do with the language. Identity preservation and fifty steps closer to the source.

• Who is your target audience?

There is a message in my art for everyone, be it a person of Yorùbá descent or not. But it is my hope that my art is experienced by Yorùbá people in different quarters, just so they could connect with the raw beauty embedded in the language and promote it more vigorously. Anyone, regardless of tribe, language or colour, who is in sync or trying to be in sync with their heritage should connect easily to my art. My art is for everyone who is meant to experience it.

• You can share a success story or case study of what your customers say about your services.

There are numerous feedbacks on my art. And here is one of such reviews on my debut Yorùbá novel, Ṣẹ̀gílọlá Arómirẹ́ Ògìdán. I do hope you enjoy the review.

• How can readers find your business online? (You can share your website and social media links here).

Well, my art is accessible on the internet. You could catch up with my activities and recorded performances via Instagram, YouTube and X (Twitter), with my handle being “aremogemini”. My debut novel, Ṣẹ̀gílọlá Arómirẹ́ Ògìdán is also available for purchase at Rovingheights.

• Are there any upcoming events/classes or product launches?

Well, I have so many projects brewing underway. My second Yorùbá novel should be released by early 2025. My debut album, Kórì, is still in the works and should be officially released sometimes before the year wraps up. There are also other projects that I’d prefer to surprise everyone with at the perfect time.

• What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Well, my advice for entrepreneurs and creatives generally is never to be afraid to make mistakes or start extremely small. Mistakes and missteps are necessary. These missteps come together in the long run to shape mentality and help make informed decisions.

• Can you provide some tips for getting the most out of your product or service?

Well, there is no magic to getting the most out of my art or services. It all boils down to level of keenness. If the one experiencing my art is as passionate with language, heritage and knowledge seeking (just as I am), he or she will see beyond the literal surface and find the gems carefully locked within my art. To love and get the most out of my art, it is also necessary to love Yorùbá language and heritage.

• What do you think about the Yoruba culture?

I do not think that the Yorùbá culture is amazing. I know that the Yorùbá culture is ten times amazing. It is a transcendental culture that holds dear affirmation and acknowledgment even beyond regular greetings. Yorùbá culture is everything a culture should be.

• Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Well, my takeaway for everyone is that the sustenance and preservation of the Yorùbá language and heritage is not a day’s job, nor is it a job to be done by one man. Preserving the language requires collective efforts from you and me. And it starts with making sure that you no longer regard the Yorùbá language as a vernacular. Communicate more in Yorùbá, experience arts and writings in the Yorùbá language; when you protect the heritage, the heritage too protects you.