A former backup singer of late Nigerian Juju and Highlife musician Iyun Ajilore, popularly known as Saint Janet, has explained why the singer transitioned from gospel Juju to music featuring sexually explicit themes.
The backup singer, Sunkanmi, popularly known as Suko, said Saint Janet adopted the style after discovering that it generated greater audience engagement, more bookings and increased earnings at social events.
Suko, who said he had known Saint Janet for more than 25 years, disclosed this during an interview with Alejo TV on Tuesday.
He recalled meeting the singer when she was still a backup singer for Nurse Kenge, while he was working as a freelance drummer.
“I have known Saint Janet before she started singing. She used to be a backup singer for Nurse Kenge. I was a drummer then, so I worked with different people. When she decided to stand alone and create her own band, I decided to follow her.
‘She started with gospel Juju,” he said.
According to Suko, Saint Janet initially blended Juju with gospel music, with the band holding rehearsals at a Celestial Church.
“We used to do our rehearsal in a Celestial Church. She started as a Juju and gospel mixture. Our first studio recording was interesting, but people did not really listen to it. She spent money on that particular project and the cassette became dusty under her bed,” he said.
He described the singer as hardworking, noting that she performed at various events, including weddings, bars and beer parlours, but struggled to attract the audience she wanted with her gospel songs.
“She is someone who is hardworking a lot. Whether we were at a beer parlour performing or at a wedding, she was always working. When we went to bars, we did not really get the reception from the audience,” he said.
Suko said the lack of audience response encouraged Saint Janet to experiment with a different musical approach that incorporated sexual themes and events happening at social gatherings.
“So, she started and founded this explicit sexual style, like a pastor style, by using people at the event to preach in her song but romantically since it was a worldly setting,” he said.
He explained that the singer incorporated people and situations at events into her performances as a form of entertainment.
“Look at this woman, Aunty Adunni, and her husband, Mr Lagbaja, look at how they are kissing. She used happenings in her song to create a form of entertainment. When she experimented with it, we got more money on stage,” he said.
According to Suko, the new style subsequently resulted in more bookings from clubs and bars.
“Then she started getting bookings as a result of that from the clubs or bars,” he added.
However, Suko stressed that Saint Janet never completely abandoned gospel music despite the popularity of her new musical style.
“Still, she did not backslide from gospel music. She still got inspiration to sing gospel songs,” he said.
He recalled an occasion at a wedding where Saint Janet was performing gospel songs before the bride’s family asked her to perform the newer style.
“We once got to a wedding where she was singing gospel, but the bride’s family insisted that she sing the newly founded sound that resonated with people,” he said.
Suko said the band initially objected because children were present at the event.
“We complained that kids were around, but they disagreed and said it was not a problem,” he said.
He said the audience’s reaction to the performance further demonstrated why the new style had become popular.
“When she started singing the song, people started spraying and we made more money than when she was singing gospel songs at the wedding,” he said.
He added that some churches also requested the songs.
“We have gotten to some churches where they said we should sing those explicit-rated 18 songs,” Suko said.
Suko said he remained with Saint Janet’s band because of their longstanding relationship, which had developed into a family bond.
“I could not leave her band because we are close. We are now family,” he said.
He also recalled Saint Janet’s final performance and said the late singer appeared to appreciate his years of loyalty and support.
According to him, Saint Janet turned to him during the performance and said: “Help me greet Suko, he has been with me for the longest, he has supported me.”
Suko said she also gave him her wristwatch and sprayed money on him.
“She so appreciated me, but not publicly on stage. Assuming I knew it was a goodbye, I would have just returned it and told her that it seemed you were going,” he said.
Saint Janet’s children had earlier disclosed that the singer complained of chest pain and experienced difficulty breathing shortly before her death.
Her daughter, Omowunmi, said Saint Janet had performed at a show in Sango, Ogun State, the previous night without displaying any signs of illness.
“She performed the previous night. People even celebrated her with applause. We did not suspect anything. After the show, we came home and slept. The show was overnight,” she said.
Omowunmi said her mother went to the market the following day and returned home around 6pm before preparing her own meal.
She said she later noticed the singer holding her chest.
“After she finished cooking, she checked around the house to see if there was anything else for her to do. I later noticed she was holding her chest. She said she felt like something wanted to drop off her chest. Her breathing was no longer regular,” Omowunmi said.
The singer was subsequently taken to a hospital, where she was admitted and placed on oxygen.
Her son, Orinayo, said medical personnel attended to her shortly after she arrived but later discovered that she had lost her pulse.