Entertainment
Being Yoruba Is Not a Festival – Seun Kuti Criticizes Monarchs Over Cultural Disconnect
Afrobeat singer Seun Kuti has taken a swipe at Yoruba traditional rulers, accusing many of them of abandoning the spiritual essence of their heritage while occupying thrones rooted in the culture they ignore.
In a fiery post shared via his Instagram Stories, Kuti claimed that most Yoruba monarchs no longer believe in the deities and traditions they’re supposed to represent, reducing the meaning of being Yoruba to mere ceremony and spectacle.
“90 percent of Yoruba kings don’t believe in Yoruba gods, yet they sit on Yoruba thrones and make a mockery of what it means to be Yoruba,” he wrote.
The musician condemned what he described as misplaced priorities among some of the monarchs, noting:
“Fanfare in the midst of misery, joy in the face of poverty, and glamour in the presence of ignorance. Being Yoruba is not a festival!”
Kuti didn’t stop there. He added a more pointed criticism, writing, “There is no bigger criminal than the benevolent king/dictator.”
His remarks come just days after the lavish celebration of the annual Ojude Oba Festival, a cultural event that showcases the pageantry and traditions of the Ijebu people — a Yoruba subgroup — in Ogun State. While the festival has drawn praise for promoting Yoruba culture, Kuti’s comments suggest a deeper frustration with what he sees as a loss of authenticity and sincerity among the custodians of Yoruba heritage.
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