Jemiriye turns Yoruba folktale Olúróunbí into new single and video

Afro-fusion singer Jemiriye Adeniji, known on stage as Jemiriye, has put out a new single and music video called Olúróunbí, built on a Yoruba folktale about a woman who trades her unborn child for the life she wants.

The song came out on Friday, according to Leadership. It was recorded and produced in Paris and the United States, while the video was shot in Bali, Indonesia. The music was produced by Dr Gregory McPherson.

In the tale, Olúróunbí longs for a child, money and respect. She makes a deal with a sacred Iroko tree, promising the child she has not yet had in return for her wishes. When the time comes to keep her side of the bargain, her good fortune turns to grief.

Why the old story still lands

Jemiriye said the chant and rhythm stayed with her from childhood, when she first heard them on village nights. She said she only grasped the story's weight as she grew older.

“It speaks to something deeply human: the desire for a better life, the pressure to prove ourselves and the danger of pursuing success without asking what it might cost us,” she said.

She also tied the tale to the strain women face to keep proving themselves, especially Black women pushing into new spaces. She said Olúróunbí reminds listeners to stop chasing emptiness, protect their peace and refuse to trade their humanity for a seat at a table that demands everything from them.

The track mixes Yoruba chants and Nigerian rhythms with live orchestral playing and modern production. Its refrain, “Olurounbi o join join iroko join join!”, carries the sound of oral storytelling into a contemporary Afro-fusion arrangement.

What happens next

Listening sessions and release celebrations are planned for Paris, Los Angeles and Lagos. The singer's team said more details would be announced later.

For Nigerian listeners, the release is a chance to hear a homegrown story told for a global audience, with the Yoruba language and rhythm at the centre rather than in the background.