Nigerian-British singer Azeez Adeshina Fashola, widely known as Naira Marley, shared the reason behind his fluent Yoruba despite growing up in London, UK.
During an interview with Cool FM Nigeria in Lagos, the Marlian Music leader revealed that his father enforced a rule of speaking only Yoruba at home, completely banning the use of English.
Naira Marley mentioned that his upbringing in South-East London, specifically Peckham, which has a large Nigerian community, felt like a small Lagos, contributing to his strong connection to Nigerian culture.
He emphasized that despite living in England, his family preserved Nigerian customs, including speaking Yoruba, enjoying Nigerian music like Fuji, and eating African cuisine.
As a result, when he returned to Nigeria, it felt natural for him to embrace the Nigerian street music scene. Naira Marley also revealed that he had the potential to become a footballer and even played for the Arsenal youth team during his time in England.