Aboru Aboye purely Yoruba language, not for Ifa priests – Tope Alabi

Tope Alabi, a well-known gospel performer in Nigeria, has responded to the controversy that has surrounded her viral video in which she can be seen singing in Yoruba using the word “Aboru Aboye,” a greeting used by Ifa initiates.

In the popular video, Alabi sang the lyrics “Abiye ni mi, Oruko mi ni yen” and referred to herself as “ebo,” which is a word that literally means sacrifice. I am a sacrifice; my name is Mo de bo, Mo ru, Mo ye. My name means “I am a sacrifice accepted by God”).

Since then, the lyrics have sparked a flurry of responses in the media as her supporters and some Christian authorities take sides with her wording.

The award-winning musician, who was seen preaching in a white robe church, claimed in a video that “Aboru Aboye” is a true Yoruba language and not just the domain of traditionalists.

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 reiterating that sacrifices were rendered in the bible, she further queried saying, “Was Abraham’s sacrifice accepted or not? Was it not the same with Isaac?”

In establishing her points with specific reference to a bible passage which is Romans 12:1, she said, “Brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. The word ‘acceptable’ is the ‘Aboru’ while ‘living sacrifice’ is Aboye.”

Recall that an Ifa-priest, Oluwo Jogbodo Orunmila, had told the award-winning singer to conduct an ancestry Deoxyribo Nucleic Acid (DNA) to be sure of her origin.

Orunmila who is the chief priest of Iledi Imule Agba in Oyan, Odo Otin North Local Council Development Authority in Osun State while speaking with The PUNCH in an exclusive interview noted that Alabi has always been enmeshed in the usage of traditionalists’ lexicons.

He mentioned the singer’s use of ‘Eledumare’ and several other appraisals usually meant for Orunmila (god of wisdom) and Yoruba deities.

He maintained that whoever has come out to tag Alabi as an idol worshipper is just fuelling public opinion and is particularly not knowledgeable enough to know that Ifa only identifies those who want to be identified because it embraces secrecy.

While fielding questions on whether the phrase is a usual lexicon that anybody could use, Orunmila said, “It is not. It is certainly used by the Ifa initiates.

On how the phrase became a common greeting among the Ifa initiates, he narrated that Odu Ifa ‘Ogunda meji’ in Ifa corpus birthed the stories of three women; Aboru, Aboye, and Abosise who rendered special help to Orunmila.