- Tope Afolabi recently addressed controversy trailing use of traditional religious greetings in her song.
- The term Aboru Aboye, mostly used by Ifa worshippers in reverence to the deity, has since become a hot topic on social media.
Tope Alabi, a renowned gospel singer, has reacted to the controversy trailing her viral video where she was heard singing in Yoruba language using the word ‘Aboru Aboye’, a form of greeting among Ifa initiates.
In her song, Alabi referred to herself as ‘ebo,’ meaning sacrifice in English, and sang, “Abiye ni mi, Oruko mi ni yen. Mo de bo, mo ru, mo ye,” which translates to “I am a sacrifice, that’s my name. I am a sacrifice accepted by God, that’s my name.”
These lyrics elicited mixed reactions from her fans and some Christian leaders who questioned her choice of words.
In a new clip making the rounds, the award-winning singer who was seen ministering in a white garment church said, “Aboru Aboye” is a pure Yoruba language and not an exclusive preserve of traditionalists.
Tope Alabi who explained with bible reference also clarified that her deft use of the language remained her peculiar style as a gospel artiste.
She said, “It was recorded that David made a sacrifice of faithfulness to God. Why was the word sacrifice not written as the same English word in the Yoruba version of the Bible? It is a Yoruba language. There is no special language for traditionalists. We are all speaking the Yoruba language.
“If some people say they want to use the language in their own style, it is not bad. We have also decided to use it in our own style
While emphasizing that sacrifices were rendered in the bible, she further questioned, “Was Abraham’s sacrifice accepted or not? Wasn’t it the same with Isaac?”
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