‘Yoruba People Didn’t Support Flavour’ — Kelly Hansome Sparks Debate Over O2 Arena Show
Nigerian singer Kelly Hansome has reignited the conversation around ethnic support in the Nigerian music industry after making controversial comments about Flavour’s London concert.
In a recent video, Kelly Hansome claimed that Flavour struggled to fill the same London venue where Wizkid has previously attracted huge crowds because, according to him, Yoruba fans did not support the Igbo highlife singer.
Kelly Hansome argued that Nigerian artists often benefit from strong support from their ethnic communities, but alleged that the same level of cross-ethnic support is not always extended to Igbo musicians.
He specifically pointed to Flavour and Wizkid as examples, claiming that Yoruba fans would readily support a Yoruba artist but were less willing to buy tickets for an Igbo artist.
“Flavour went to London. Flavour could not sell out the same venue where Wizkid sells out easily. Who are the people who were supposed to buy those tickets? Yoruba people.”
He continued by alleging that this lack of support contributed to Flavour’s inability to sell out the venue.
Rather than backing away from the controversy, Kelly Hansome defended his decision to speak openly about issues he considers uncomfortable.
He referenced the legacy of legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, arguing that artists should not be afraid to confront difficult truths.
Kelly also used Fela’s music and its popularity among members of the Nigerian police force to make a broader point about how people can recognise uncomfortable truths even when they do not necessarily agree with them.
Kelly Hansome’s comments have reignited a long-running debate about ethnic loyalty and the Nigerian music industry.
Nigerian music has historically had strong regional and cultural identities, with artists often enjoying particularly strong support from audiences who share their language or cultural background.
However, Afrobeats has increasingly become a global genre, with Nigerian artists such as Wizkid, Burna Boy, Davido, Rema, Tems and Flavour attracting audiences across ethnic and national boundaries.
This raises an important question: Should the success of a Nigerian artist at an international concert be viewed primarily through an ethnic lens?
Flavour has built an international career largely around highlife, Igbo cultural influences and Afropop, developing a strong fan base across Africa, Europe and beyond.
His music has also crossed cultural boundaries through collaborations and international performances.
Therefore, while Kelly Hansome has attributed Flavour’s reported ticket-sales performance to a lack of Yoruba support, that remains his personal claim and interpretation, rather than an independently established explanation for the show’s attendance.
Kelly Hansome’s comparison with Wizkid has also become a major talking point.
Wizkid has performed at major international venues and has developed a large global following over the course of his career. His ability to attract audiences outside Nigeria is part of the wider international growth of Afrobeats.
Using Wizkid’s success as a benchmark for another artist, however, involves many factors beyond ethnicity, including an artist’s catalogue, touring history, marketing, ticket pricing, venue capacity, location, fan demographics and current international momentum.
The singer’s remarks have generated strong reactions online, with some people agreeing that ethnic solidarity can influence the Nigerian entertainment business, while others have criticised the attempt to explain an artist’s concert performance primarily through ethnicity.
The discussion has consequently moved beyond Flavour and Wizkid to a much larger question about whether Nigerian artists support one another enough across ethnic and regional lines.
For Kelly Hansome, the issue is about what he sees as an imbalance in support.
For others, the conversation is a reminder that the global success of Afrobeats should ideally be based on music, artistry and audience connection rather than ethnic identity.
Kelly Hansome’s comments have once again placed ethnicity, music and audience support at the centre of a heated Nigerian entertainment debate.
Whether fans agree with his assessment or not, his remarks have opened up an important conversation about how Nigerian artists can build a stronger culture of mutual support as Afrobeats continues to expand globally.
