The Imperial ruler of Iwo kingdom, Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Rasheed Adewale Akanbi, met and married his wife, a Jamaican known as Chanel Chin, in Canada early this year. 32-year-old Chanel Chin, who is the daughter of a Jamaican reggae artiste, Ludlow Chin aka Bobo Zaro, became the queen of Iwo Kingdom in Osun state.
The Rastafarian people of Jamaica seem very excited that one of their has become royalty, even though it’s in a foreign land. Below are some of their reactions to the information: A Facebook user, Emmanuel Mathias, showed his allegiance with the queen by saying: “Destiny is powerful, her ancestor was taken away as slave, but she return back home as queen. Let us embrace her and tell her you are welcome back home. This is one giant step towards bringing back home our descendants that great fathers and mothers were casted away.” Quoting the website, they showed their pride in one of their own by saying: “Decades after Rastafarians in Jamaica began to espouse a return to the motherland of Africa, from where their ancestors were shipped to the Caribbean during the slave trade era, from the middle of the 15th century to the end of the 19th, the seed of a Rastafarian brethren has returned to the motherland in a royal capacity.”
The new queen reportedly told a Jamaican news outlet, The Gleaner, that she was very honoured to be representing Jamaica in that big way. Here’s what she had to say: “My ancestors were taken away as slaves, but I have returned to Africa as a queen. One’s destiny cannot be altered. As a young child, I always wanted to come to Africa, but didn’t know how. I feel this is a great opportunity for black people worldwide to return to their home. Our forefathers and ancestral mothers were cast away as slaves to never return, but I want Jamaicans everywhere to know that Africa is so nice. The culture and traditions are so rich and lovely. It’s truly something every black person should come and experience.” The queen went ahead to say her responsibility towards the women and young girls in her community entailed her setting a proper example for them, including dressing in conservative and respectful outfits according to the tradition.
“No matter what I wear, my shoulders and full legs must be covered at all times. All of my clothes are custom made to match these requirements. Also, as queen, the king and I like to regularly visit the local schools in the community to remind the children of the importance of education and excelling in all areas of their school work and examinations. We believe they are the future” When asked if she had any challenges with the language and her new way of life, she had this to say: “I know some words. Everyday, I am still learning. Another challenge is that the food is quite different from our mouth- watering Jamaican dishes.”
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