COLLEGE TOWN, FL — FAMU's first female head drum major performed at the Academy Awards on Sunday, showcasing her baton choreography during a live performance for the movie "Sinners".
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Oluwamodupe "Dupe" Oloyede, the first female head drum major in Florida A&M University's Marching "100" band history, recently performed on one of the biggest stages in entertainment — the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles during the Oscars.
"The experience on the stage was…amazing," Oloyede said.
Oloyede showcased her choreography with her drum major baton during a live performance of "I Lied to You," performed by singer Miles Canton for the movie "Sinners".
"I loved…just the expression through it all. There were nerves before, not because of the question of, 'Could I do it' but just, wow, this is a really big stage, and a really…known place to be in. And I was grateful just to be there, honestly. It was amazing," Oloyede said.
Oloyede said she couldn't have done it without the FAMU community behind her.
"The Rattler community helped me make this possible, from my friend driving me down to Orlando to catch my flight, to…the university, as soon as I landed, making sure that I was taken care of. I'm so grateful to our president, so grateful to our director of bands, so grateful to the Office of Communications, to the assistant to the president, everyone…alumni, too. Once they heard that… they may not have known my name, but they knew that I was a member of Delta Sigma Theta, so they were moving and moving and helping," Oloyede said.
Oloyede said her moment on a global stage is about more than just performance — it's about representation.
"In honor of Women's History Month, this is for the women who trailblazed so that I could. A lot of work has gone into this moment before I could even see the fruits of this labor, so thank you so much to everybody. To anybody who had a dream and questions if they should do it, go for it, take the risk," Oloyede said.
Oloyede told me she hopes to one day return to that stage and win an Oscar herself, while also giving back to the university that helped her along the way.
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