Ras Kimono, born Ekeleke Elumelu, on May 9, 1958, in Onicha-Olona, Delta State, Nigeria, died in Lagos, last Sunday, at the age of 60.
He started his music career as a member of the legendary Jastix Reggae Ital, alongside Majek Fashek, Amos McRoy Jegg and Black Rice Osagie. His music was greatly influenced by the poverty, inequality and hardship he witnessed in his early life.
He released his solo debut album “Under pressure” on the Premier Music label in 1989, which propelled him to instant continental stardom. The album had hits like “Under pressure”, “Natty get jail” and the massive hit “Rhumba Style.” He later released a string of hit albums, touring all over Africa, Europe and the United States, promoting his brand of reggae music.
Ras Kimono won several awards including the Nigeria Music Awards, Fame Music Award, and had continued to perform to the thrill of fans of all ages, and his brand of music still remained timeless.
The Chairman of the Copyright Society of Nigeria, COSON, Tony Okoroji, has described Ras Kimono’s demise as a rude shock to the nation’s music and entertainment industry. “He will be terribly missed, as he was not just a board member of COSON, but a personal friend who gave me 100% support”. Okoroji, however, stressed that solace should be drawn from the fact that the late reggae legend left indelible footprints as a passionate artiste who contributed his quota to the growth of Nigerian music.
