Why Saint Janet Abandoned Gospel Music For Explicit Songs — Backup Singer Reveals

A longtime backup singer to late Nigerian Juju and Highlife musician Iyun Ajilore, popularly known as Saint Janet, has revealed the factors that influenced the singer’s transition from gospel-influenced Juju music to songs featuring sexually suggestive themes.

The backup singer, Sunkanmi, popularly known as Suko, said the shift was largely driven by audience reception, increased bookings and higher earnings at social events.

Suko, who said he had known Saint Janet for more than 25 years, made the disclosure during an interview with Alejo TV on Tuesday.

According to him, he met Saint Janet when she was still a backup vocalist for Nurse Kenge, while he was working as a freelance drummer.

“I have known Saint Janet before she started singing. She used to be a backup singer for Nurse Kenge. I was a drummer then, so I worked with different people. When she decided to stand alone and create her own band, I decided to follow her,” he said.

Suko recalled that Saint Janet initially combined Juju with gospel music, with the band holding rehearsals at a Celestial Church.

“We used to do our rehearsal in a Celestial Church. She started as a Juju and gospel mixture,” he said.

He said Saint Janet also invested in her first studio recording, but the project failed to attract significant attention.

“Our first studio recording was interesting, but people did not really listen to it. She spent money on that particular project and the cassette became dusty under her bed,” he recalled.

Despite the disappointment, Suko described Saint Janet as a hardworking performer who continued to perform at weddings, bars and other social gatherings.

He said the band eventually realised that gospel performances did not always receive the expected response, particularly at bars and entertainment venues.

“She is someone who is hardworking a lot. Whether we were at a beer parlour performing or at a wedding, she was always working. When we went to bars, we did not really get the reception from the audience,” he said.

According to Suko, Saint Janet later began experimenting with songs inspired by events around her, incorporating humour and suggestive themes into her performances.

He explained that she would sometimes reference guests and situations at events, turning them into spontaneous entertainment.

“When she experimented with it, we got more money on stage,” he said.

Suko added that the new style soon translated into increased demand for the band.

“Then she started getting bookings as a result of that from the clubs or bars,” he added.

‘She Never Abandoned Gospel Music’

Suko, however, insisted that Saint Janet never completely abandoned gospel music despite the popularity of her newer style.

“Still, she did not backslide from gospel music. She still got inspiration to sing gospel songs,” he said.

He recalled an incident at a wedding where Saint Janet began her performance with gospel songs before members of the bride’s family asked her to switch to the style that had gained her wider recognition.

“We once got to a wedding where she was singing gospel, but the bride’s family insisted that she sing the newly founded sound that resonated with people,” Suko said.

He said the band initially expressed concern because children were present at the event, but the hosts insisted on the performance.

“When she started singing the song, people started spraying, and we made more money than when she was singing gospel songs at the wedding,” he said.

Suko further claimed that some churches occasionally requested Saint Janet’s adult-themed songs during performances.

‘We Are Now Family’

The backup singer said he remained with Saint Janet’s band because their relationship had grown beyond a professional partnership.

“I could not leave her band because we are close. We are now family,” he said.

Reflecting on one of the singer’s final performances, Suko said Saint Janet publicly acknowledged his loyalty and years of support.

He recalled her saying: “Help me greet Suko, he has been with me for the longest, he has supported me.”

According to him, Saint Janet also gave him her wristwatch and sprayed money on him during the performance.

“She so appreciated me, but not publicly on stage. Assuming I knew it was a goodbye, I would have just returned it and told her that it seemed you were going,” he said.