Nigerian singer Olawale Ashimi popularly known in music circles as Brymo has strongly voiced out his objections to the tradition of paying bride price to take a woman’s hand in marriage.
The “Oleku” crooner who expressed his opinions on the subject in a post on his Instagram page, argued that paying bride price represents the transfer of ownership over women rather than respecting their autonomy and uniqueness.
Brymo, who began recording music in 1999 while still in high school and was born and raised in Okokomaiko, claims that the practice represents antiquated ideas about women as property.
“I saw in a movie scene the other day where a man told a female love interest that ‘a woman that can be bought is not worth having’.. and it all made sense to me without a doubt left in my mind, and that the practice of paying bride-price depicts the transfer of ownership of the bride.” Brymo wrote.
The performer, who in 2010 inked a recording contract with the label Chocolate City but was later charged with violating the terms of the deal, claimed that paying the bride price puts the bride and groom in a difficult situation.
He continued, “And I may participate naught of that, and especially because the other who was paid for may ever still choose to be as they want to afterwards… and posing ownership problems for the procurer…and a man expresses full ownership on things he pays for…yet a woman ain’t a thing to own or one to dictate for.”
