Nigerians slam Dice Ailes over Sarah Baartman’s artwork
Quick Read
Nigerians have taken to social media to lambast singer and songwriter, Shasha Damilola Alesh better known as Dice Ailes, for derogating 18th century Eastern Cape woman, Sarah Baartman, by using her picture as artwork for his latest single, titled, 'Ginika'.
By Taiwo Okanlawon
Nigerians have taken to social media to lambast singer and songwriter, Shasha Damilola Alesh better known as Dice Ailes, for derogating 18th century Eastern Cape woman, Sarah Baartman, by using her picture as artwork for his latest single, titled, ‘Ginika’.
The song which is a follow-up to ‘Alakori,’ his collaboration single with Falz, was meant to celebrate the African woman’s backside and its artwork was also meant to depict the same.
But after releasing the song, many people knocked the singer for devaluing Sarah Baartman who was used as a spectacle to please white masters across Europe in 18th century, because she suffered from steatopygia, so she had excess fatty tissue around her hip and backside.
Ginika’s artwork triggered many negative reactions on social media prompting the Otedola’s crooner to make a public apology.
Dice Ailes, you should know it's inappropriate to use Sarah Baartman's picture.
It's either you don't read or know history, or your clout chasing game is above 100.
You should fix this. https://t.co/CwCegDu10i
— CHISOM (@_chisomokafor) October 31, 2019
https://twitter.com/Aunty_Les/status/1189825036070375424
Have you ever head of Sarah Baartman? The lady who's image you are using to promote your new single. She was exploited and treated as a 'freak' by Europeans when she was alive. Your use of her image to promote this song is an insult to her memory in every way you can think of… https://t.co/zmFHo5SnIi
— The Great Abisola (@AbisolaAlawode) October 30, 2019
~ Sarah Baartman
She subsequently spent most of her adult life being exhibited as a caged freak-show attraction both in London and Paris, where she died and was displayed even in death up until the late ‘70s
If you know your history well, you wouldn’t have accepted this artwork https://t.co/xvVxvtkQeb
— Diji The Great. (@dijiaderogba) October 31, 2019
The level of ignorance involved in this artwork is beyond me. How you and your team can use Sarah Baartman on a single cover just shows that you not only have no idea about history but don't research images before using them.
— NC GREY (@ncgreyy) October 31, 2019
Most Nigerian artistes are ignorant, and dice Aile is a typical example.
The lady he used as his picture cover for ginika is Sarah baartman a black slave with big butt that was sexual abused from a tender age till her death, the white would beat her up and forcefully have sex pic.twitter.com/aOOBraz8iM— def gunzify(𓃵):🏴☠️ (@gunzify0) October 31, 2019
Suddenly, everyone in Nigeria knows who Sarah Baartman was;
But they didn't know that yesterday.
— Onye Nkuzi (@cchukudebelu) October 31, 2019
https://twitter.com/DiceAlies/status/1189831214376587264
Sarah Baartman. Ginika. pic.twitter.com/RGjhyznBji
— Waterman (@DiceAiles) October 31, 2019
When it’s all said and done, Sarah Baartman was a beautiful, voluptuous and true African woman, and for me, that’s the side of story I have chosen to tell. Love always. Talk later pic.twitter.com/IYzIfjDh9j
— Waterman (@DiceAiles) October 31, 2019
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