Meet Oyibo Princess

Claire Edun, the pidgin speaking Oyibo girl who has gained fame online has recently transitioned from stand up act  to Nollywood star. The ex flight attendant from Winchester in Hampshire was recently interviewed by The Guardian.

The inspiration behind her opting to absorb Nigerian Culture

“From understanding pidgin, and then visiting the country and getting to know the people and the country itself, I realised that it’s not what we see on the news at home. I thought, let me just share my love for the country and see what happens.”

“That’s where it came from – trying to bridge that gap between different races, cultures and traditions.”

On finding pidgin easy to learn

“I knew that there were hundreds of languages in Nigeria – Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, there are so many – and they sound very different; they’re very thick languages to learn. Pidgin English is like my language, but just a bit street.

“If I want to describe something, or talk to someone, I find that in pidgin English you can get to the point with one or two words. It’s not a long sentence like we might have at home, beating around the bush. You say what you mean and it’s done.

“The mannerisms and the fire that needs to go into the language just comes in time – it’s a natural thing.”

Her response to accusations of Cultural Appropriation

Edun rejects the suggestion that what she does is cultural appropriation, because she says she is promoting Nigerian culture.

“I’m really well accepted. When I get negativity, it does make me sit there and read through the comments and try to see it from their point of view. Each to their own.”

On her Nigerian husband not practicing pidgin with her

“He likes to speak Queen’s English,If some of the boys come around to play Fifa, I might be able to join in on a conversation in pidgin English, but 90% of the time it’s Queen’s English. Also, he’d rather throw a pizza in the oven any day, whereas I’d rather cook a local [Nigerian] dish.”

Read the rest on Guardian