By Chiemelie Ezeobi
The musical rhythm of life ended yesterday for popular reggae artiste, Ekeleke Elumelu, popularly known as Ras Kimono, as he passed on after a brief discomfort. He was 60.
Known for hit songs like ‘We no want’ and ‘Rum-Bar Stylée’, released in his debut album Under Pressure in 1989, the reggae legend was said to have complained on Saturday night about feeling discomfort and was rushed to a hospital in Ikeja.
He was said to have been later taken to Lagoon Hospital on the Island, where he eventually died.
He was a member of Jastix, a group that was made up of Majek Fashek, Amos Mc Roy and Blackrice Osagie, before he went solo and release his first album, ‘Under Pressure.’
Delta State born Kimono’s path with music crossed while he was a student at Gbenoba Secondary School, Agbor and after school joined the Jastix, a Lagos based musical group.later as a member of the Jastix Reggae group.
According to Wikipedia, “His music was greatly influenced by the poverty, inequality and hardship he witnessed in his early life.
“His solo debut album Under Pressure released on the Premier Music label in 1989, propelled him to instant continental stardom.
“He later released a string of hit albums, touring all over Africa, Europe and the United States, promoting his brand of reggae music.
“He won several awards, including the Nigeria Music Awards, Fame Music Awards and many more.
“In 2010, he was still performing to a loyal fan-base of all ages and his music is still played on radio, throughout West Africa. Kimono served a long apprenticeship on the Nigerian music circuit, experimenting with a number of styles, before making his late 1980s breakthrough as a reggae singer.
“His strongly polemical lyrics produced album sales of over 100,000 copies, and a fervent following for his advocacy of social change.
“What’s Gwan proved even more successful, with the topics selected including legalisation of marijuana, and the need for Africans to intellectually repel colonialism and its arbitrary boundaries between tribes.
“Most controversially, he was not averse to naming directly those in power he saw as synonymous with backdoor imperialism.â€