Nigerian Nobel-Prize winning writer, Wole Soyinka, has come to the defense of Afrobeats sensation Davido following the controversy surrounding a music video that offended certain members of the Muslim community.
The music video in question was shared by Davido, featuring another artist signed to his record label, and reportedly depicted men dancing outside a mosque. This depiction sparked outrage among some Muslim circles, leading to the tearing down of Davido’s posters, as reported by local media.
In response to the situation, 89-year-old Wole Soyinka has taken a stand and advised Davido against issuing an apology. Despite the video being taken down, Soyinka is encouraging the popular musician not to succumb to pressure and maintain his artistic expression and creative integrity.
“I have not seen the clip, but I insist on the right of the artiste to deploy dance in a religious setting as a fundamental given,” Soyinka said.
Several high-profile figures have condemned the video, including former lawmaker Shehu Sani, who tweeted that Davido should apologise because fans were “offended” by the video.
Bashir Ahmad, an adviser to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, wrote to his 1.6 million followers that the content was “absolutely disrespectful hurtful and offensive”.
“We Muslims don’t mix our religion with jokes in any way,” he wrote, especially anything to do with prayers.