There was a time when wisdom lived in a calabash.
It moved from elders to youths in slow, deliberate gulps, at moonlit gatherings, naming ceremonies, and wrestling festivals, when the sky was dark but the stories were bright.
What do we see today?
Wisdom is still being poured… just in new cups.
The Calabash Has Gone Digital
In the old days, palm wine wasn’t just a drink, it was a connector.
You didn’t just sip it.
You listened with it.
You learned with it.
You bonded with it.
Now, the same thing happens on podcasts and group chats.
The “palm wine tapper” has become a host.
The “elders’ circle” has become an audience.
And the “gourd” has become a microphone.
Different packaging.
Same purpose.
Our Ancestors Invented ‘Content’ Before Content
Let’s be honest, our people have always been storytellers:
- Elders dropping proverbs like punchlines
- Hunters narrating near-mythical encounters
- Aunties offering unsolicited advice that somehow always made sense
- Drummers speaking entire paragraphs with rhythms and pauses
What is the equivalent today?
- Twitter threads
- 30-minute podcasts
- TikTok skits with moral lessons
- Voice notes that feel like documentaries
- Instagram reels that break history down into 60 seconds
We’re not doing anything new, we’re just doing it louder and with better audio quality.
Wisdom Has Always Been a Shared Resource
Before Wi-Fi, knowledge was a communal thing.
- If someone learned something, everybody knew it.
- If one child was corrected, the whole compound got the message.
- If danger was coming, the town crier announced it before sunrise.
Today, that town crier is wearing headphones, editing software on their laptop, and a ring light in front of them.
Same mission:
Tell the people what they need to know before it’s too late.
Why Gen Z Still Wants “Palm Wine Moments”
Even with all the technology, one thing is clear:
Young people are still looking for spaces where truth is served fresh.
Spaces that feel safe.
Spaces that feel familiar.
Spaces where someone speaks and you feel your spirit nod.
That’s why podcasts thrive.
That’s why voice notes go viral.
That’s why we still love gist nights with friends because information hits deeper when it feels human.
We don’t just want content.
We want connection.
New Tools, Old Soul
It may be:
- A podcast episode that sounds like your grandma’s warning
- A YouTube show that feels like village gossip
- A thread that reads like a proverb in modern English
Whichever one it is, one thing is clear:
We’re not abandoning our roots.
We’re repackaging them.
The palm wine has become a podcast.
And the wisdom is still 100% original.
Conclusion
Our ancestors passed knowledge through storytelling.
We pass ours through streaming links.
But wisdom doesn’t care about format.
It survives.
It adapts.
It finds new vessels, human or digital.
Because at the end of the day:
Whether it’s a calabash or a microphone, the truth will always find a way to be heard.