Singer Naira Marley, a British-Nigerian, has explained why he speaks Yoruba so well despite being of Nigerian descent and having grown up in London.
The head of Marlian Music, who raps largely in Yoruba, claimed that his father forbade the use of English in their home and only permitted Yoruba.
He revealed this in an interview with Lagos’ Cool FM Nigeria.
Naira Marley stated: “I grew up in South-East London, specifically Peckham, which made it simple for me [to merge with Nigerian street music]. You get what I mean when I say that’s like a little Lagos?
And my father forbade using English in the home throughout my entire time in England. As a result, we had to learn Yoruba and other related terms. I continue to enjoy Fuji. We consume African cuisine. It felt as though I was still in Nigeria even though I was in England. Yes, I found it to be simple. People in Nigeria didn’t really know I was from London until I returned.
The musician added that when living in England, he played for the Arsenal youth squad and claimed he could have been a player.
