Saint Janet has always fascinated me ever since she started out many years ago. She has proven with her brand of music that what a man can do a woman can do better. Her consistency and her passion for music has stood her out for many years. I call her a twin sister of the sensational fuji music icon Abass Akande Obesere with her lewd songs.
The Shibororobo crooner St. Janet whose real name is Janet Oluwatoyosi came into limelight some years ago with her lewd music style full of sexual innuendo which has since become the rave at parties, clubs, and also enjoyed by many of her fans who are within and outside Nigeria.
One of my most nostalgic experiences with St. Janet was the night she played somewhere around Yaba in Lagos. When I got to the venue I noticed her male dominated fans and when I was about settling down to get a sit for myself I heard her voice from a cordless microphone asking her male audience in a call and response music style “ Se O Ti Do Aro ri” meaning “HAVE YOU SLEPT WITH A HUNCH BACK BEFORE” .. “Where the hell am I” I soliloquized. Thou in awe I was quick to realize that I was in the gathering of the St Janet Bottles Cathedral a fellowship for sinners and fun lovers. Many of her male fans from interactions confirmed her song as one of the best pain killer and tension reliever they ever have come across. Ha!! One mans food is another mans poison o.
Honestly Saint Janets confidence in effortlessly dishing out songs with deep vulgar content still amuses me till date. In her album “ Efe Series” she cleverly starts her music with songs of praise first giving thanks to God Almighty for keeping her alive and recognizing his presence in her congregation before starting out to use her songs to correct some social ills in our society in a comical way.
Saint Janets music is always very penetrating as she uses her music to mirror her society and talks about different wrongs in our society without mincing words. She gives an eye opener account to the high rate of infidelity, dishonesty, disloyalty and other various atrocities committed in homes, religious institutions, communities but most especially among males and females from different background etc. Also she reminds us in her song “E wa Wo Oyan awon Adelebo” of the age long practices in Lagos when women often referred to as Alagbafo gathered to wash clothes openly during the day. Also in her album “Faaji Plus” she talks about two alcoholic couples who gets drunk recklessly at every social gathering and immediately then throws a question to her listeners asking them if they think it was possible for the couples children not to become alcoholics.
Saint Janet over the years has successfully created a niche for herself and built a large followership while remaining till date the first female musician in the history of Nigeria to openly come out to sing lewd songs with the intent of showing to the world a lot of decadence found in our society.
Her song is a mixture of different things ie Satire, humor, lewdness, reformation, instruction, etc
Many people may give different interpretations to her songs and not really come to terms with it neither will they understand the depth in the messages she is trying to pass across and may be quick to rubbish it as songs for charlatans and lowlife. I remembered there was a time when her song was banned in Lagos State as it was been confirmed then that her messages was driving home careless lyrics which was said to have detrimental effects on the young ones. I feel every musician should be given a chance to freely express his or her hidden talents without any form of hindrances whatsoever as it is pertinent to know that music can be used for relaxation, instruction or communication it depends on the listener’s choice.
As Saint Janet continues to serenade her budding fans with her ever sonorous voice and Tonic Booster I hope the society will give her a chance in her chosen field to help reflect more with her songs on the complete degeneration and decadence in the Nigerian social system be it family, religion, political, educational, etc.