Nigerian Islamic music singer, Alhaja Aminat Obirire, has performed at a traditional Ifa festival, entertaining guests at the Yoruba religious and cultural gathering with her musical performance.
The singer, who is known for her Yoruba-language Islamic songs, was seen performing before participants at the ceremony on Saturday.
Her appearance at the event has drawn attention to the relationship between religious identity and indigenous cultural practices.
The development has also brought renewed focus to the place of artistic expression in preserving Yoruba cultural heritage, particularly as musicians from different religious backgrounds participate in traditional celebrations.
The Ifa belief system is an indigenous Yoruba spiritual tradition centred on divination, wisdom and the interpretation of sacred knowledge. It is associated with Orunmila, regarded in Yoruba spirituality as the deity of wisdom and divination.
The practice involves an extensive collection of oral literature known as Odu Ifa, which is interpreted by trained practitioners to provide spiritual guidance.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation recognised the Ifa divination system as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2005. It was subsequently inscribed on the organisation’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.
The recognition highlights the cultural and historical significance of the Ifa tradition and the importance of preserving indigenous Yoruba knowledge and practices.
