




































 

 
18 

INSIDIOUS EROTICISM IN MUSICAL PERFORMANCES OF 

SAINT JANET 
 

Kayode M. Samuel Ph.D. & Samuel A. Adejube 

 

Abstract 

rom euphemism to dysphemism, the Nigerian popular music 

industry has enjoyed the patronage of the masses aided by the 

various virtual communities in the propagation of its message of 

eroticism. Unlike many Nigerian popular music artistes who are 

aggressive in their erotica performances, Saint Janet is a creative 

music artiste whose adoption of insidious eroticism knows no bound. 

With the use of ethnographic techniques (key-informant interview and 

participant-observation), this article discusses the insidious eroticism 

used in Saint Janet's music. The paper argues that the Christian 

religious background of the artiste and the need to fulfil her daily 

needs have been the factors responsible for her insidious creativity. 

Socio-cultural themes such as didactic, religious, therapeutic, 

entertainment are part of her techniques in entrapping her audience 

in her web of eroticism. Subtly, both the young and old are lured into 

her erotica performances. The paper also argues that parody has been 

her major compositional technique with emphasis on the 

reconstruction of several Juju-gospel music. 

 

Keywords:  Saint Janet, Insidious eroticism, Nigerian popular music, 

Juju-gospel music performance 

 

Introduction 

Eroticism, violence and vulgarism, as discursive themes, have been 

greatly explored in the humanities, especially within the fields of the 

creative and performing arts. However, the motion portrait facet of 

the performing arts seems to be the propelling cogency in spreading 

the contentious traits of vulgarity, violence and eroticism. Kelly (2013) 

F 

 Awka Journal of Research in Music and the Arts (AJRMA) Vol. 13 2019 



Insidious Eroticism.....                                                    K. M. Samuel & S. A. Adejube 
 

 
 

19 

expresses grave concern about the seemingly opposing but powerfully 

entwined forces of the erotic, perverse, macabre and violent, which 

have been explored on many levels within the history of art 

particularly through the medium of film. It is perhaps within the 

music video genre however, that we see these co-joined aesthetics so 

actively envisaged. 

 

The term, erotic is culturally defined sinceits meaning variesfrom one 

culture to another. While the use of sexually implicit language is 

prohibited in some cultures, the same language can be used scarcely in 

another, especially where the use of euphemism is largely encouraged. 

Also, the use of lewd language is wittingly adopted in a different 

culture loosely. Supporting this claim, Asare (2014) notes that the 

definition of what is erotic in the arts may vary from one society to 

another and opinions may change over time. She continued: 

to the Asante, there is little or no differentiation 
between words as erotica and pornography... If it is visual 
arts it will be likely to be judged in the domain of good 
art and bad art, not forgetting the functionality of the 
object. In the performance, it tends to a discourse of 
decency versus indecency (ethical basis). If an artwork is 
beautiful, it is admired, if it is to serve a purpose, it is 
used and discarded, and its admiration also dies quickly; 
that is to say, most of the socio-cultural arts of the 
Asante are ephemeral except for the royal arts and 
regalia. (Asare, 2014, p.2) 

 

Lewd, vulgar, exotic and lecherous words are expressed in the day-to-

day compositions and performances of contemporary Nigerian popular 

musicians. These words are used sporadically in the popular media, 

particularly in music entertainment and the home video industry (the 

Nollywood). Nigerian popular music artistes also acculturate this 

aspect of lewdness in their musical performances. Consequently, the 

influence can be envisaged to be from the African American Hip-hop 

culture. In explaining the acculturation employed by Nigerian popular 



Insidious Eroticism.....                                                    K. M. Samuel & S. A. Adejube 
 

 
 

20 

music artistes, Emielu (2006) opines that with improved air travels 

and the development of global satellite network, music from around 

the world can be heard from the comfort of one‟s home, and this has 

both produced positive and negative effects on the development of 

African music. African pop musicians have adopted similar forms and 

practices of their American and European counterparts. The 

consumerist orientation which has gripped many African societies 

fueled by economic considerations is at the root of the ever-changing 

face of popular music in Africa.Some critics have contended that 

African music is fast losing its soul in a globalized world. The Yoruba 

word: „asakasa', (a strange culture) is used to describe any cultural 

expression that cannot be properly linked to the home culture. 

 

Nigerian popular musicians make use of different techniques as they 

introduce erotic lyrics into their compositions and performances. 

While some employ the use of euphemism, others are not moderately 

mild as they arequite direct and free in lewd expressions.For instance, 

sexual expressive terms by Abass Obesere (a Nigerian Fuji music 

artiste) were viewed by many as unacceptable to the Yoruba culture, 

which mademembers of the society to regard and label the artiste as 

an outcast. Generally speaking, the Yoruba culture does not seem to 

promote an arbitrary use of sexual terms in the day-to-day 

conversations. In common parlance, such words are referred to as 

„isokuso‟ (indecent talks) and roundly frowned upon, especially when 

expressed by a minor, teenager or a married woman. 

 

Janet Omotoyosi Kayode-Iyun popularly known as Saint Janet is a 

Nigerian female pseudo-juju-gospel music practitioner who is famous 

for adopting erotic themes in her music. Saint Janet is also known to 

employ parody as she changes the song texts of popular gospel 

juju/highlife, choruses, and native air music to erotic lyrics in the 

cause ofentertaining her audience. 

 

Erotica displays are widespread in the lyrical and visual performances 

of many Nigerian popular music artistes, mostly the males and 



Insidious Eroticism.....                                                    K. M. Samuel & S. A. Adejube 
 

 
 

21 

especially those associated with the hip-hop, fuji and afro-pop genres. 

Members of the society sometimes consider this phenomenon 

excusable for male music artistes, but not for their female 

counterparts who are expected to maintain societal values including 

decorum and piety especially as Yoruba music artistes. While some 

music artistes are aggressive in their bawdy performances, others 

tend to adopt a subtle approach in their lewd performance. One of the 

artistes in the latter category is Saint Janet. This article, therefore, 

examines the insidious pattern in Saint Janet's erotica performances. 

 

Theorizing the Socio-Psychological Needs 

There is always a reason for an action despite the pros and cons of 

such action. The socio-psychological theory of human needs offers a 

perspective that is based on all human actions and behaviours in the 

pursuit of fulfilling his/her needs, irrespective of the appropriateness 

or inappropriateness of the action. The earliest and most widespread 

version of this is Maslow's (1954) hierarchy of needs which includes 

five motivational needs, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a 

pyramid. Neglects of any form of deficiency tend to motivate people 

to attempt the unthinkable to meet their needs with little or no 

regard for the possible consequences, including the appropriateness or 

inappropriateness of their actions. According to Maslow, it is not until 

theneeds at the base are satisfied that the individual could aspire to 

progress to meet higher level growth needs. 

1. Psychological or biological needs include; air, food, cloth, 

shelter, warmth, sex, sleep… 

2. Safety needs include protection from physical and natural 

causes, security, order, law, freedom from fear 

3. Social needs include love, friendship, family, friends and 

romantic relationship 

4. Esteem needs include achievement, mastery, independence, 

status, dominance, prestige, self-respect… 

5. Self-actualization includes realizing personal potential, self-

fulfillment, seeking personal growth, and peak experiences. 



Insidious Eroticism.....                                                    K. M. Samuel & S. A. Adejube 
 

 
 

22 

One of the ways to comprehend the erotic and lewd performance of 

Saint Janet in lieu of Maslow‟s socio-psychological hierarchy of need is 

to study the activities of various popular musicians who in pursuit of 

money, fame and power would opt to perform any musical compositions. 

The lowest form of their needs, which is physiological and at the base 

must first be metbefore attempting to move up the ladder to the 

higherones. Many popular musicians are from the mass and low culture 

where they live below one dollar ($1) per day. 

 

Moreover, the benefits of the lyrical performance of Saint Janet are 

not limited to her and her musicians alone but also her audience. Some 

of her listeners are people who patronise the pub house, bars and 

clubs - hence, they find solace and encouragement in the performance 

of Saint Janet as they enjoy their time and activities at the pub 

house. Also, some of her listeners talk about the therapeutics 

benefits of deriving sexual pleasure thereby increasing their libido, 

which in return helps them in securing their marriages especially as 

regards to sexual intimacy with their spouses.    

 

Aggressive Eroticism in Nigerian Popular Music 

The mass media and the internet have been a major avenue to spread 

an idea, concept or message. Hence, the Nigerian popular music 

industry has ridden on such a prospect. Though the media has a way of 

censoring the use of vulgar words, this has not in any way stopped 

aggressive erotica display by the music artistesusing audio and visual 

tracks. Kelly (2013) expresses the importance of the video to popular 

music artistes, states that „the video clip is a visceral medium to 

exploit the theatrics of spectacle. For many woman artistes it is also a 

vehicle to address issues of body politics – questions of 

representation, sexuality and identity... for example, self-

objectification, aggressive sexuality, sadomasochism, violence, horror 

and so on are all seen to beat play'. 

 

Most young people access the music of their country, the West and 

especially of Americans and any other countries via the various social 



Insidious Eroticism.....                                                    K. M. Samuel & S. A. Adejube 
 

 
 

23 

media on the internet. Besides, music can be accessed and recorded 

from the various music and television houses as the country are open 

to different pay-tv that are foreign-based. In that way, there exist a 

very good opportunity and possibility for the youth to get exposed to 

the different cultures of the West and most especially their 

expression in lyrics, styles and dressing. Likeseveral other musical 

genres, popular music has the capacity of attracting people‟s attention 

through its melodic and rhythmic power (Adeola, 2001). Its effect on 

the listeners is enormous andquite evident in the kind of language, 

dance movements, facial expressions and gestures as well as the kind 

of moods displayed by the music enthusiasts, given the fact that it is 

learned by fans as dictated by the popular musicians. 

 

Many music videos of popular musicians in the country contain erotica 

scenery both in words and sight. From women dancing naked and 

shaking their „buttocks‟ to men calling out those erogenous words with 

or without euphemism being applied to sensor these acts. Oikelome 

(2013) in his work titled “Are Real Women Just Bad Porn?: Women in 

Nigerian Hip-hop Culture” ascertain that there is a tremendous trend 

in the development of using and displaying women as sex symbols on 

the music video of popular music genres. He continued: 

However, sex symbolism is taken to an alarming dimension 
in the music industry where women are seen as a 
commercial venture, useful for commercial purposes. This 
is because generally, in Western culture and societies 
that follow the West, a woman's body is considered 
sexually provocative to man; and thus, there is a growing 
concern over the near-naked female postures in some 
music videos. (Oikelome: 2013, 86). 

 

There is a similar genre among the Yoruba known as ìjálá, mainly 

performed by men of any age (Ajibade, 2005).Although it contains 

more vulgar and erotic words than nuptial songs, there are no 

restrictions on its performance in public. In other words, if ijala 

(praise chant genre of the hunters‟ guild) grantsan unrestricted 



Insidious Eroticism.....                                                    K. M. Samuel & S. A. Adejube 
 

 
 

24 

license to men for vulgar expressionsand erotic words, nuptial songs 

equally permit women to perform such acts. Ajibade notes further 

that: 

This song may be funny and amusing, and it is deliberately 
so. One can be in an erotic mood when listening to this 
song. This song conjures both male and female 
reproductive organs ready for sexual intercourse. This 
can stimulate the new wife to be into getting ready for 
the conjugal rites. This song is usually sung when the 
bride and her friends dance around the town usually a day 
before the marriage ceremony. They usually sing it when 
they notice the presence of males around them. They do 
not limit themselves to a mere description of the 
reproductive organs but go further to depict sexual acts 
between men and women. (Ajibade 2005: 104). 

One of the songs cited in Ajibade‟s work goes thus: 

 Olóríburúkú l‟okó – A penis is a heady ill-fated individual 

 Ajígbèsè l‟epòn – The scrotum is a debtor 

 Àfi tó bá wo ‟nú òbò sin-sin – It will not desist until it forcefully 

       penetrates the vagina. 

 

One can, therefore, infer that contemporary popular musicians 

sometimes leverage on references to sex and sexual objects in 

African oral literature, especially those found in performances of 

ijala, ewi, oriki and ekuniyawoof the Yoruba to launch and justify the 

inclusion of lewd lyrics in their musical performances. 

 

Olajubu (1972) and Dare (2005) quoted the annual Oke‟badan – Ibadan 

hill – festival in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State of Nigeria. This is an 

annual festival celebrated by the adherents of the deity of the hill in 

Ibadan. Expressions of obscene songs and gestures are allowed during 

the festival wherein boys and girls (below puberty) parade the 

streets, singing obscene/lewd songs accompanied with obscene 

gestures.The freedom in expressing lewd act and performance is 

permitted only once in a year and in the context of Oke'badan 



Insidious Eroticism.....                                                    K. M. Samuel & S. A. Adejube 
 

 
 

25 

festival. However, in contemporary times when social and mass media 

are widespreadwith accessibilityto users from the comfort of their 

houses, vulgar songs and lewd performanceshave been taken outside 

the context of the pub, beer parlours and nightclubs.They 

haveextended to public space, including homes, offices, fuel stations 

and markets as well as on the radio, television and the internet. 

 

Examples of popular music artistes in the country who are fond of 

adopting erotic displays aggressively in their performances are Burna 

Boy, Olamide, Reminiscence to mention but a few. For instance, a part 

of the texts of the song entitled; „Ladi‟ by Olamide and Phyno, 

featuring Lil Kesh, Lil Kesh expresses his desire to have sex with a 

lady named „Kemi‟ as used in the musical video. 

Iranu, abasha      Nonsense! Rubbish! 

Olorun, jeje mi ni mo joko sita My God! I was sitting outside quietly 

Mo ba ri omo kan tan pe ni Kemi  Then, I saw a girl named Kemi 

Nigbati mo ri idi Kemi mo pariwo aaah When I saw her buttocks,  

      I shouted ahh! 

She say Kesh do you want to sample me   She said, Kesh do you 

          want to have sex with me 

 

Quite recently, relevant regulatory bodies in Nigeria have sanctioned 

the works of some music artistes, which are considered grossly 

offensive and contain erotic and vulgar lyrics. The table below shows a 

list of music productions banned by the different censoring 

authorities in the country for promoting obscenity and thereby 

„corrupting the society‟ through their videos. 

 

NOT TO BE BROADCAST (NTBB) LIST OF JULY 2015 

S/

N 

ARTISTES TITLE REMARKS CLASSIFICA-

TION 

1 PHYNO YAYO Obscene Video NTBB 

2 REMINISC

-ENCE 

TESOJUE Vulgar Lyrics NTBB 

3 NICKI ANACONDA Vulgar Lyrics and NTBB (AUDIO 



Insidious Eroticism.....                                                    K. M. Samuel & S. A. Adejube 
 

 
 

26 

MINAJ Obscene Video & VIDEO) 

4 OLAMIDE INDOMIE Obscene Video  NTBB 

(VIDEO) 

5 PRE THE GIRL  SFB 

6 WIZKID IN MY BED  SFB 

7 NAETO C 

ft D‟BANJ 

TONY 

MONTANA 

Video depicts 

violence 

NTBB 

(VIDEO) 

8 ACE HOOD 

& RICK 

ROSS 

BUGATTI  NTBB 

9 OLAMIDE FALILA 

KETAN 

 NTBB 

(VIDEO) 

10 LIL KESH GBESERE Vulgar Lyrics  NTBB 

11 MAY D IBADI Obscene Video NTBB 

(VIDEO) 

12 OLAMIDE BOBO  SFB 

13 DR SID FT 

TIWA 

SAVAGE 

OYARI  SFB 

14 KONET MUMMY 

JOANNA 

 NTBB 

(VIDEO) 

15 DAVIDO FANS MI Video promotes 

ostentatious 

lifestyle, violence, 

drug trafficking 

and indecent 

exposure 

NTBB 

(VIDEO) 

16 IYANYA 

FT DON 

JAZZY 

GIFTS  SFB 

17 OMARION 

FT CHRIS 

BROWN 

AND 

POST TO BE  SFB 



Insidious Eroticism.....                                                    K. M. Samuel & S. A. Adejube 
 

 
 

27 

JHENE 

AIKO 

18 JHIBO LOMO Obscene Video 

and Lyrics 

NTBB 

Source: NET Newspaper 

 

Insidious Eroticism and the Music Performances of Saint Janet 
The first erotica music album of Saint Janet contains a large number 

of texts that refers to sex and sexual activities without restriction. 

While other popular musicians adopt euphemism in mentioning the male 

sexual organs by using terms like „banana‟ and „pandororo‟, Saint Janet 

opted for dysphemism by literarily calling human sexual organs by 

their descriptive anatomical names:oko (penis), obo (vagina) and omu 
(breast). The release of her music album was a rude shock to the 

public, especially wherever the music is being played in Lagos State 

and the environment where she usually performed. Although the Lagos 

State Government announced that her music has been banned, it was 

later found out that some radio stations were granting airtime to it, 

while interested individuals played the musicat gatherings and private 

parties. 

 

An example of a song from her first album that shows a dysphemism 

approach to her erotica performance is 

B‟oko ba le laleju, as‟eyun 
B‟omode ba m‟oko do o, a l‟oyun 
Boda rora se, 
B‟oko ba le laleju, ase‟yun 

Translated as: 

If the penis is too turgid (strong erection), it can abort 

pregnancy 

If a young lady loves to have incessant sex, she will get 

pregnant 

Brother, take it easy (exercise caution) 

If the penis is too turgid (strong erection), it can abort 

pregnancy 



Insidious Eroticism.....                                                    K. M. Samuel & S. A. Adejube 
 

 
 

28 

It could be argued that the above musical lyric is didactic being that 

it warns of the risk of unwanted pregnancy on a girl-child who is 

sexually active; nonetheless, the affront with which she mentioned 

the male sexual anatomy largely remains unacceptable and the fact 

that the society frowns at such defiance cannot be pushed aside. 

Perhaps, the negative reaction that greeted her first album was the 

motivation that led her to adopt euphemism and insidious approaches 

to subsequent musical performances and productions. 

 

A subtle approach to erotica performances can be seen in her 

adoption of parody tocommon gospel songs thathave gained much 

popularityamong the general public, including children before throwing 

caution to the winds in her erotica journey. Instrumental articulations 

of well-known tunes/songs laced with syncopated rhythmic gestures 

after the order of juju-highlife modeare presentedas preludes before 

initial verses in her musical performances. The melodic construct is 

predominantly tonal with a strongadoption of western-oriented 

harmony.Instruments include electronic keyboards, (one of which is 

used as synthesizer for the horns section, especially set to saxophone 

timbre), lead, rhythm and bass guitars, and the trap set (drums) all 

combining to make the musical performance comfy and appealing to 

the audience.  

 

Also, the Africanization of popular church hymns remains oneof 

thestrategies and constituentelements in her insidious approach 

toensure a higher level of acceptabilityof her music. To this end, Saint 
Janet utilizes the choruses commonly usedfor liturgy in Yoruba 

churches in her performances to draw her audience towards her 

music. This is a common tactic by popularjuju musicians, especially 

whose workstend to combinejuju with gospel genres. A juju gospel 

music artiste is most likely tobegin his/her performance with core 

gospel songs singing with full instrumentation that is akin a juju 

musical performance with the use of all the percussive instruments 

available,including the sakara (circular-shaped membrane drum with 

earthen resonator) and sekere (rattle). Meanwhile, as part of a means 



Insidious Eroticism.....                                                    K. M. Samuel & S. A. Adejube 
 

 
 

29 

of entertaining the audience, s/he would often juxtaposegospel music 

form with juju style of performance by singing the praises, eulogy of 

the people in her performance circle. At times, such music artistes 

infuse their names in the performance in the form of vocables or 

rearranging the lyrics to suit panegyric mode of performance. 

 

A musical example 

Olorun t‟oda awon oke igbani  The Lord who created the 
ancient hills 

Eyin ni mo fi ope mi fun   (Un)to You all my thanks/praise 
is due 

The above popular gospel songis commonly vocalized bySaint Janet at 

social functions regardless of the event or performance context. No 

doubt, the song is a parody of „My Grandfather‟s Clock‟ written in 

1876 by Henry Clay Work. Saint Janet‟sparodied version, though 

gospel, is presented in a simple cantabile form akin to the juju 

rhythmic style. The chorus is kept short and simple following the 

repetitive structural form.Thereafter, she begins to make a roll callof 

her patrons by eulogizing and appreciating them for their generous 

support and for promoting her musical career, especially invitations 

extended to her to perform at their social functions.Panegyric form 

remains a common element in her music just as it is typical ofjuju 

music (Vidal, 2012). Her style of presentation may be described as 

midway speaking and singing (not entirely chant-like). In addition, her 

music performance brings a remembrance of an aspect of folklore and 

mass culture that finds its quotidian relevance tocultural expression in 

the form of contemporary hybridity as opined by Omojola (2012). The 

song texts ofSaint Janet also feature socio-cultural themes including 

entertainment andironically, that of social control. 



Insidious Eroticism.....                                                    K. M. Samuel & S. A. Adejube 
 

 
 

30 

 

The starting section of her live performances and her studio-

recorded filescould be subtly captivatingas one listensto and 

participatesin it. Listeners who are not quite familiar with her voice 

may find themselves singing and dancing alongside at this point. 

Examining the first live album of Saint Janet titled „Faaji Plus‟, the 44 

minutes, 19 seconds musical album begins with a tuneful popular gospel 

music used as choruses in the liturgical service of some churches in 

the country, such as „Heavenly Lord, your name is wonderful, your 

name is excellent, your name is beautiful, I worship you, Lord, for you 

are mighty, you've got the whole world in your hands‟. 

 

As expected, the lewd portion of the live performances of Saint 
Janet‟s has given rise to the controversies surrounding her career. A 

majority of her critics are clergymen and church authorities who 

vehemently oppose the use of gospel songs as parody to her 

compositions. Apart from the fact that she always starts her 

performance with gospel/church lyrics and songs mainly comprising 

church choruses, she is also fond of changing the songs to suit her 

erotic/lewd performance thereby alternating the lyrics in the 

songs.On the other hand, a reconstruction of gospel songs as used by 

Saint Janet is a way of giving thanks to God who supposedly is 

responsible for her musical gift, creativity and success in the musical 

industry. In her words: there is nothing one can do aside God, I get 
my inspiration for my lyrics from God, whether before a performance 
or while performing and I need to improvise, all these creativeness 
comes from God (sic). It could be argued that perhaps this is the main 

reason for her insidious erotica performances compared to the 

aggressive erotica performances of some popular musicians. 

 

The theological themes explored by the music artiste can be 

identified as part of her insidious movement. Another of such songs 

used by Saint Janet is: 

Olorun to da awon oke igbani Lord, the creator of the heavens 

Eyin ni mo fi ope mi fun…  Unto You, I give all my praise 



Insidious Eroticism.....                                                    K. M. Samuel & S. A. Adejube 
 

 
 

31 

Ta ni un o tun gbega o  Who else can I adore, 

Bi ko se Baba l‟oke   If not You my heavenly Father 

Ta ni mo tun fi gbogbo ope mi fun…  Who else deserves all of my praise 

 

The sheer number of church buildings and religious activities in 

Nigeria is a proof that its citizensare extremely religious. 

Manygatherings and secular meetings always start with opening 

prayers from at least the two major religions in the country 

(Christianity and Islam). Saint Janet is seen to adopt religious style in 

performances irrespective of the location/venue. She often begins 

her performances with songs in praise, honour and worship of God. In 

her words:„ There is nothing anybody can do outside God. I can tell you 
boldly that, my inspiration is from God‟. Unsuspecting listeners easily 

connect with such a musical idea before being swayed by her erotic 

lyrics. 

 

Another factor responsible for insidious eroticism in the 

performances of Saint Janet is audience appreciation of the socio-

cultural themes in her music compositions. As popular juju/highlife 

songs, her performanceshave a strong appeal to her audience. Besides, 

most of the songs, though flavoured with erotic texts are sometimesa 

form of supplication, with strong appeal to religious-inclined members 

of the audienceanddidactic through effective use of euphemism. Such 

songs include: 

Adara adara fun mi   It shall be well with me 

A ma ko‟lemo‟le   We will build houses upon houses 

Atun ma ra‟le mo‟le   We will procureplots of land 

Opeke to mu‟le t‟ikoko      A damsel that lives next door to the wolf 

Ikoko a naa l‟egba   The wolf will spank (devour) her 

 

The first aspectis more or less a prayer, but the second, through 

euphemism, attempts tocautionasexually active girl-child against 

promiscuity.From the gospel songs to the socio-cultural themes being 

used by Saint Janet, her listeners are somehow gradually caught in 

the web of her erotica performances. Subtly, both the young and old 



Insidious Eroticism.....                                                    K. M. Samuel & S. A. Adejube 
 

 
 

32 

begin to swing to the rhythm ofwhat seemed like a „praise and 

worship' form, until she interjects with erotica lyrics. At this level, 

both euphemism and dysphemism are applied in mentioning the sexual 

anatomy of both male and female along with indistinctterms 

(languages) depicting sexual activities. Example of such songs is: 

B‟owo mi bawa l‟oyan re   If I am fondling your breasts 

T‟enu mi wani enu re   When kissing you 

Ti kini mi wani sale    When having sex 

Sha r‟oju duro ma yedi   Please, be patient  

Chorus: Duro, r‟oju duro ma ye di…  Be Patient... 

 

 
The above song is a parody of the hymn titled; „wait and murmur not‟ 

with lyrics by W. H. Bellamy and music by W. J. Kirkpatrick. In the 

adaptation of this hymn, not only that the lyrics have been modified 

to satisfy the eroticism desire of Saint Janet, but also the melody 

was readjusted to accommodate the tonal inflection of the language 

of performance. This was done by adding a semitone to the already 

raised fourth note (as shown below) within the first melodic phrase.  



Insidious Eroticism.....                                                    K. M. Samuel & S. A. Adejube 
 

 
 

33 

 
 

Another song by Saint Janet goes thus: 

O ti gbomi l‟ataro ko ma je ki sun He‟s been having sex with me all 

       day long  

Oba mimo, wo run „sale mi, meta loku Holy God, My pubic hair remains 

       only three 

Adogan l‟obo, eyin bobo e to gi si The vagina is meant for sexual 

       activities 

The last sentence is more or less a metaphor in which the vagina, 

likened to the cooking pot,in need of firewood, symbolic of man‟s 

penis, to ensure the making of delicacies is done. 

 

Conclusion 

This article attempted to demonstrate that unlike many Nigerian 

popular music artistes who make use of aggressive erotica musical 

performances (in lyrics and audio-visual), Saint Janet is a creative 

insidious erotica music artiste. The socio-psychological theory adopted 

by the authors in this paper reveals that human actions and 

behaviours in the pursuit of fulfilling their needs/wants do little or 

have no regard to the appropriateness or inappropriateness of their 

actions.As a result, the insidious creativity in her performanceswas 

birthed to accommodate more followers and patronages utilising 

genresranging from the gospel to juju and highlife musical forms 

before the eroticism found in either the reconstruction of gospel 

music or the parody engaged in her compositions. 

 

The paper argues that in spite of the Christian religious background 

of the artiste, it has not in any way stopped her from embarking on 



Insidious Eroticism.....                                                    K. M. Samuel & S. A. Adejube 
 

 
 

34 

erotica journey. Rather, it has been of assistance in her subtle 

approaches to erotica musical performances. Apart from the eroticism 

displayed by Saint Janet, other socio-cultural themes were explored 

in terms of the functionality of the musical lyrics, extending from 

didactic to the therapeutic themes in her musical compositions and 

performances. This insidious approach to her performance implies 

that many listeners could possibly be entrapped unconsciously and 

insidiously in the web of her eroticism. 

 

References 

Adeola, T. (2001). Contemporary Nigerian popular music: A tool for 

national development. Nigerian Theatre Journal Vol 6 (1) 

Ajibade, G. O. (2005). Is there no man with penis in this land? 

Eroticism and performance in Yoruba nuptial songs. African 
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