Saint Janet buried in Ogun as family, colleagues bid ‘Mama Yabis’ farewell

Veteran Nigerian Juju and Highlife musician Iyun Janet Ajilore, popularly known as Saint Janet, has been laid to rest in Abeokuta, Ogun State, weeks after her sudden death.

The singer was buried on Wednesday at her residence following funeral activities that brought together her children, relatives, colleagues and admirers.

Among those who joined the mourning were veteran Juju musician Gentleman Dele Taiwo and other figures associated with the traditional music community.

Videos from the ceremony showed an emotional farewell as Saint Janet’s children and other mourners gathered around her remains before she was committed to the earth.

The burial concluded funeral activities that began on Tuesday with a candlelight service, Christian wake and Artists’ Night at the AIT/Faaji FM compound in Kola Alagbado, Lagos. The family had earlier announced that her interment would take place the following day at her residence in Abeokuta. 

Saint Janet, also fondly called “Mama Yabis”, carved out an unusual space in Nigeria’s Juju and Highlife scene through an entertainment style that combined music, humour, satire and provocative social commentary.

Her death brought an end to a career in which controversy became almost as much a part of her public identity as her energetic live performances.

Sudden death

News of Saint Janet’s death was announced on 2 August after what was initially described as a brief illness. Subsequent accounts from her children revealed that her death had been sudden.

Her children, Omowunmi, Orinayo and Fola, said during an interview with Alore TV that their mother had shown no obvious signs of ill health before her death.

She had performed at an overnight event in Sango, Ogun State, shortly before she died and, according to her family and manager, completed the performance without displaying signs of distress. 

After returning home, the singer went about her activities normally, including visiting a market and later preparing food.

Her family said she subsequently complained of chest pain and developed difficulty breathing.

Relatives rushed her to a hospital, where she was placed on oxygen but died shortly afterwards. 

Her manager also recalled speaking with her on the day she died, saying Saint Janet told him she was cooking soup and would call him back.

The account provided a stark contrast between the singer’s apparently normal activities that day and the medical emergency that followed hours later.

The family subsequently constituted a committee to oversee her funeral and held nine days of prayers and thanksgiving ahead of the final rites.

Who was Saint Janet?

Saint Janet occupied an unusual position in Yoruba popular music.

Although associated with Juju and Highlife, her performances frequently moved beyond conventional music into comedy, social commentary and what became known as yabis — humorous or biting remarks about people, relationships and everyday life.

Her blunt delivery and willingness to address adult themes earned her the nickname “Mama Yabis” and helped distinguish her from more conventional female performers within the genre.

She also adopted religious imagery and language as part of her unconventional stage persona, despite performing material that was sometimes sexually explicit or provocative. That contradiction became one of the defining features of her public image. 

Saint Janet built much of her reputation on the live-performance circuit, particularly at parties and social gatherings where her interaction with audiences, humour and energetic delivery became central to her appeal.

Controversial career

Her music was not without controversy.

Saint Janet became particularly known for recordings containing sexually explicit lyrics and candid commentary on relationships and sexuality.

Her work attracted criticism for obscenity and repeatedly sparked debate about the boundaries among artistic expression, traditional Yoruba performance culture, and acceptable content in popular entertainment.

Among the recordings associated with her career were “Faaji Plus”, “Olori Ebi”, and “All Eyes On Me.”

Despite, and in some cases because of, the controversy surrounding her material, Saint Janet developed a loyal audience and became one of the recognisable personalities within the Yoruba party-music circuit.

Her career was defined by an ability to turn the things other performers might avoid saying publicly into part of her entertainment.

It was an approach that made her polarising, but also ensured that she occupied a distinctive place in the Juju and Highlife landscape.