People, especially those who appreciate their cultures and traditions, will be inspired by the narrative of Tiago Isola, a Portuguese kid who was transported to Nigeria by his mother. Tiago, who was brought to Nigeria at a young age, appears to place a higher emphasis on Yoruba language, culture, and custom than those who were born Yoruba. He isn’t shy about expressing his enthusiasm and passion for all things Yoruba.
In a recent interview with BBC News Yoruba, the Portuguese recounted his fascinating narrative of how he was introduced to the country and how he fell in love with anything related to the Yoruba race, which he couldn’t hide. Speaking Yoruba, he claimed, had been a boon to him in many ways.
He claims that, despite the fact that his name is Tiago Isola, people call him “Oyinbo Ibile,” which means “traditional white,” because he speaks Yoruba most of the time.
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He went on to say that he is of Portuguese descent, that he resides in Oyo, the capital of Oyo State, and that he is currently a student at the University of Ibadan.
He went on to say that his mother brought him to the country when he was 10 years old since she was serving as a cultural ambassador to the Alafin of Oyo at the time.
When he first arrived in the country, he was given the name Isola in Alafin’s palace, and he completed his secondary school education in Oyo, he claimed, adding that his parents are Portuguese.
When asked how he learnt Yoruba, he claimed he learned it from his buddies whom he walked with at the time, and he also offered Yoruba while walking.
He claims that the Yoruba language is sweet to the lips and lovely to the ear, and that he avoids speaking English at all costs, as evidenced by his pals.
People have been becoming friends with him because he can speak the Nigerian language, he claimed, and people have been exchanging niceties and extending favors to him because of that.
Tiago said he came into limelight when Tunde Ednut got to know about him and started posting some videos he made on Instagram, revealing that this has boosted his career further as he is now on his way to stardom.
On Yoruba parents who often enrol their children into English-speaking schools, he urged them to speak Yoruba language to them more often while they are at home, and not to be speaking English to them as many parents do nowadays.
He said that the secondary school he attended, Yoruba was regarded as vernacular, and that preventing children from speaking the language would definitely affect them in the future.
Tiago finally said that his favourite food is amala, and gbegiri with ogunfe as he said he enjoys this delicacy more than rice.
Indeed, the story of Tiago Isola should be an inspiring one to parents and people who don’t value their mother’s tongue, hence we should all see our language as our first identity, and to overrate a foreign language over ours.