Davido Faces Backlash Over ‘Disrespectful’ Music Video to Islam

Nigerian singer Davido has been berated by Muslim leaders and social media users for a music video that they say is disrespectful to Islam.

The video, for the song “Jaye Lo” by Davido’s signee Logos Olori, shows a group of men dressed in white praying in front of a mosque. The men then break into a dance routine.

Some Muslims have found the video to be offensive because it depicts prayer in a disrespectful light. They say that prayer is a sacred act in Islam and should not be used for entertainment purposes.

Others have criticized the video for its portrayal of Islam as a monolithic religion. They say that the video does not reflect the diversity of Islamic thought and practice.

Davido has not yet responded to the criticism. However, he has deleted the video from his social media accounts.

The backlash against Davido’s video is the latest in a series of controversies involving Nigerian musicians and Islam. In 2022, singer Tiwa Savage was forced to apologize after she was accused of blasphemy in a song. And in 2021, singer Burna Boy was banned from performing in some parts of Nigeria after he was accused of making anti-Islamic remarks.

The controversy over Davido’s video highlights the sensitivities surrounding religion in Nigeria. The country is a secular state, but the majority of the population is Muslim. And while there is a long history of religious tolerance in Nigeria, there have been a number of incidents in recent years in which religious tensions have flared up.

It remains to be seen whether Davido will face any further consequences for his video. However, the controversy is likely to reignite the debate about the role of religion in Nigerian music.