The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church has reportedly exerted pressure on the management of the Sheraton Hotel in Addis Ababa to cancel the upcoming concert of Nigerian afrobeats sensation, Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, scheduled for September 9, 2023.

This revelation came to light through an interview with an Ethiopian woman conducted by Nigerian media personality Daddy Freeze.

According to the woman, the cancellation of the concert was orchestrated by the hotel management in response to strong objections raised by influential leaders within Ethiopia’s Orthodox Church.

These church leaders branded Rema as a “devil worshipper” due to a distinctive necklace he wore in promotional artwork for the event.

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The necklace depicted a burning church and inverted crosses, which some found highly provocative.

The woman explained, “They made a statement, like a press release in Ethiopia about Rema. Yes, you can imagine, it’s a very big deal.

They’re basically saying he is worshipping the devil because of what he has on his neck. And to be honest, I never thought of it myself. And there’s more to it; to be honest.”

The controversy surrounding Rema’s concert also extended to an incident captured in a video circulating on social media, showing a woman defacing posters promoting the event in Addis Ababa.