Chanel Chin, daughter of Rastafarian reggae artiste Ludlow Chin better known as Bobo Zaro, and Marion Morgan, is now queen of the Iwo Kingdom in Nigeria following her marriage to King Adbul Rasheed Adewale Akanbi earlier this year.
Addressed as His Imperial Oluwo of the Iwoland in Nigeria following his ascendancy on November 10, 2015, King Abdul Rasheed met 32-year-old Chin in Canada, where he resided before his ascension. Her father Bobo Zaro is best-known for songs such as the hit single “Pain,” a collaboration with Contractor and Capleton.
King Abdul Rasheed and Chanel recently attended the wedding reception of Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi and wife Wuraola Zainab Otiti in the Benin City, the capital of Edo State in southern Nigeria.
Chanel recently told The Gleaner that she is very honoured to represent Jamaica in such an esteemed position
“My ancestors were taken away as slaves, but I have returned to Africa as a queen. [I believe she meant “were taken away and made into slaves”] 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,” she told The Gleaner.
Chanel says as queen of Iwo land her responsibility is always to set a proper example for young girls and women in the community.
“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.”
Chin also revealed that as a Nigerian queen, she faces only minor challenges, one of which is her being not fluent in the native language which is Yoruba.
“I know some words. Every day, I am still learning. Another challenge is that the food is quite different from our mouth-watering Jamaican dishes.”
