ÌṢẸ̀ṢE DAY — FOR US AT OMOLOLA TALKSTV, THIS IS MORE THAN A CELEBRATION

Today, as we celebrate Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Day, we are reminded again of something we say often at Omolola TalksTV: we must never become strangers to our own history.

Ìṣẹ̀ṣe is about what was handed down to us — our culture, traditions, language, values, knowledge, and the ways of life that existed long before us.

Our forefathers had systems of leadership. They had ways of settling disputes, conducting commerce, preserving history, and passing knowledge from one generation to another. They had traditional titles with responsibilities attached to them. They had medicine, festivals, proverbs, greetings, family structures, and a deep understanding of community.

That history deserves to be remembered.

This is exactly why Omolola TalksTV has dedicated a major part of our platform to bringing back to life some of the things we already know but may gradually be forgetting.

Sometimes, the knowledge is still there, somewhere in our memory. Sometimes, we have heard the words since childhood but never really asked what they mean. And sometimes, unfortunately, we have inherited explanations that are incomplete or completely different from their original meanings.

That is why we created Yàrá Ìkẹ́kọ̀ọ́ — our Yoruba" Classroom

We started with Parákòyí, looking beyond the name to understand the traditional office, its connection with commerce, and why such an institution still deserves our attention today.

From there, we moved to Gbajúmọ̀ and Gbajúgbajà, two words many of us use but may not always stop to consider their differences.

And we are not stopping there.

There are still traditional titles and expressions we are bringing into the classroom — Olóyè and Ìjòyè, Apena and Olúwo, Balógun and Seriki, Ọ̀mọ̀wé and Ọ̀jọ̀gbọ́n, and several others that deserve proper explanation instead of allowing their meanings to disappear with time.

Beyond Yàrá Ìkẹ́kọ̀ọ́, we also created Yàrá Ìtàn, because preserving our " without preserving the history behind our people would leave the work incomplete.

There, we are opening conversations about personalities, events, and institutions in Yoruba history — including people whose stories may be uncomfortable, complicated, or sometimes misunderstood. From Efunròyẹ Tinúbú and Efunsetan Aniwura to the history of our kingdoms, traditional institutions, Yoruba political structures, and the stories that shaped who we are today.

We have also discussed Ògbóni, its place in traditional Yoruba society, and some of the misconceptions surrounding it.

And there is much more coming.

We will talk about Èṣù and why Èṣù should not simply be translated as Satan. We will explore Ifá, traditional offices, Yoruba concepts of time, our old systems of governance, commerce, and many other parts of our heritage that deserve deeper conversations.

This is the journey we have chosen at Omolola TalksTV.

Not because we believe everyone must practise traditional religion.

Not because we want to tell anyone what to believe.

But because culture, history, and religion are not the same thing, and preserving Yoruba history should never require anyone to abandon their personal faith.

Whatever your religion may be, you should still be able to know where you come from.

You should know the stories behind the words your grandparents used.

You should understand the institutions that existed before modern government.

Most importantly, our children should not have to depend entirely on strangers to explain their own heritage to them.

So, on this Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Day, our message at Omolola TalksTV remains simple:

Let us preserve what we can.

Let us document what we know.

Let us ask questions while those who still have the answers are alive.

And let us leave something truthful behind for the generations coming after us.

That is why we are here.

That is why we keep writing.

That is why we keep learning together.

A kú ọdun Ìṣẹ̀ṣe.

Ìṣẹ̀ṣe làgbà.

Àṣà wa, ìtàn wa, ìdánimọ̀ wa.

Happy Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Day from all of us at Omolola TalksTV. 🌿

Preserving our culture. Remembering our history. Passing the knowledge forward.

#IseseDay #IseseLagba #OmololaTalksTV #YaraIkekoo #YaraItan #YorubaCulture #YorubaHistory #YorubaHeritage