Mrs Rose Idibia, mother of musician Innocent Idibia known as 2Baba, said many accounts about her son are false and described him as a “chosen child” during his birthday dinner and album listening party in Lagos last weekend.
The event took place at Balmoral Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, where Mrs Idibia, a retired teacher, watched her son celebrate and meet guests, according to an interview published by Vanguard News. She said the family noticed his early passion for music but did not expect the scale of his success.
Speaking about 2Baba’s childhood, Mrs Idibia told Vanguard there was “a premonition that he might be a musician, but we didn’t know how great he was going to be.” She recalled that as a child he would make music by beating objects and that the family eventually allowed him to pursue music after recognising his potential.
On the controversies that have followed the singer, Mrs Idibia said the family knows the truth about him and can withstand public criticism. She told Vanguard, “Most of the things said or written about 2Baba are lies.” She added that knowing the truth helped them “weather it” despite attacks in newspapers and on social media.
Mrs Idibia spoke about the meaning she sees in 2Baba’s forthcoming album title, “The Oldest Young Man.” She said the phrase reflects his long presence in the music scene and the sense that he is now starting afresh. “He’s really the oldest young man, because he started this Afrobeats music,” she told Vanguard.
She also invoked faith when describing her son’s resilience, saying God has been on his side and shielding him from harm. Quoting lyrics from one of his earlier songs, she said, “Whoever God has made, nobody can curse,” and added that 2Baba continues to live by that message.
Mrs Idibia described moments at events when fans surround her son, sometimes prompting her to wonder, “Is this not my son?” She said the public affection shown at the birthday party illustrated how much he is loved by society.
The comments were published in an interview with Vanguard News following the birthday dinner and album listening. The publication identified Mrs Idibia as a retired teacher and described her as a special guest at the weekend event at Balmoral Centre.
Featured image: Vanguard Nigeria via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
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