Lasun Alagbe
If you are a Yorubaman or woman, so what is your own oriki?
Not the lineage oriki orile like Ikoyi Eso, Opomulero, Ologunmoso or Olofamojo.
And not the oriki ilu (a town’s praise) like we have in Ibadan nile Oluyole/Ibadan omo Ajorosun/Omo ajegbinyo, fikarahun foori mu for Ibadan or Saki Ogun o roke/Agbede o ro baba for Saki.
It’s also not the oriki amutorunwa – the one that comes with children born in special circumstances – like Ejire ara Isokun/ Edunjobi… for twins.
It is also not oriki borokinni, which is the praise chant for important or controversial personalities – the way the late actor Abija would salute himself as Aromi gbogun ma tidi in movies, and the way Gbogunmi profusely salutes himself in Femi Adebayo’s Jagunjagun.
No. The oriki in focus here is the oriki apele, the one-word praise name that the Yoruba child is given alongside their real name during naming.
These include alabi, Asake, Apeke, Isola and Abebi.
The fact is that while people know the names of Yoruba guys they come across, they hardly know their oriki apele.
It’s close reatives – especially parents and grandmothers that usually know.
Do you know that of seasoned actor, Afeez Owo, for example?
Anway, his wife, Mide Martins, has revealed it!
She dis so on Thursday as she celebrated and prayed for him on the occasion of his birthday.
The oriki is Amoo!
Hear Mide: “I wish you more success in life. May God almighty continue to strengthen you. Bless your good heart & grant you eternal existence. Keep soaring, my love; you will never crumble by the special grace of God Almighty.”
