Entertainment

The Life and Times of Raggae Legend, Ras Kimono (1958 – 2018)

Published

8 years ago

June 11, 2018

Eric

By Ajibade Morakinyo

When the reggae legend, Ekeleke Elumelu (Onwubuya), popularly known as Ras Kimono, was born on May 9, 1958, little did his parents knew that he would be one of distinct and exemplary influencers of the world. The family, friends, and well-wishers at the naming could not paint his future, but he prevailed in the fight to woo success to his side in the entertainment industry.

A native of Onicha Olona in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State and who recently clocked 60, Ras Kimono was known for his Rastafarian oriented music – an Africa-centered religion which developed in Jamaica in the 1930s, following the coronation of Haile Selassie I as King of Ethiopia in 1930 – reggae music.

He started his music career in the present Delta state, Nigeria, while he was in secondary school – Gbenoba Secondary School, Agbor. During this time, his music was greatly influenced by the poverty, inequality and hardship he witnessed in his early life.

Kimono’s songs are embodiment of unfadable words of truth and wisdom. It came as shock to many when the Nigerian reggae artist, Ras Kimono, debut album Under Pressure on the Premier Music label, which was accompanied by the popular song, “Rum-Bar Stylée” made unexpected hit in the Nigerian music scene way back in 1989, when the likes of Lucky Dube, Bob Marley, and many others were making waves in the reggae world.

This album propelled him to instant continental stardom, where he influenced many into his kind of music, and mentored many young reggae stars. The album revealed both a Jamaican and native African influence, Rum-Bar Stylée particularly, evident in his ‘patois’ delivery as frequently employed by Fela Kuti to communicate with the urban underclass. However, before making his late 80s breakthrough as a reggae singer, Kimono served a long apprenticeship on the Nigerian music circuit, experimenting with a number of styles.

With his Massive Dread Reggae Band as a signature, his strongly polemical lyrics produced album sales of over 100, 000 copies, and a fervent following for his advocacy of social change like legalisation of marijuana, the need for Africans to intellectually repel colonialism and its arbitrary boundaries between tribes. Kimono was not averse to naming directly those in power he saw as synonymous with backdoor imperialism.

Before his 1989 album, he was in a group called The Jastix Reggae Ital along with ace reggae artistes, Amos McRoy and Majek Fashek and Black Rice Osagie. Thereafter, Kimono released a string of hit albums such as, “Natty Get Jail” and the massive hit “Rhumba Style”, touring all over Africa, Europe and the United States, promoting his brand of reggae music. His effectiveness in the field brought him strings of classic awards, and the like of Nigeria Music Awards, Fame Music Awards and many more made his library.

In the 2000s, Kimono still maintains such agility and energy his fans are used to seeing in his music videos, while performing on stage. The popularity he has gathered throughout West Africa, Africa, and the world is overwhelming, thereby attracting mammoth of crowd to his 60th birthday bash that held at the Time Square, Ikeja, Lagos. Unfortunately, 31 days later, the legendary reggae singer reportedly slumped at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while waiting to board a flight to the United States, on Saturday night.

Kimono was immediately rushed to an unnamed hospital in Ikeja and then taken to another hospital on Lagos Island where he later died on Sunday morning, 10 June 2018. His, fans and other esteemed personality of the world have poured out their heart as he lives on. The world would miss you Ras Kimono…

He was a distinguished board member of the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) and is survived by humble family including his daughter, who is also making waves in the reggae music industry.

Entertainment

Great Facts About the Forthcoming Oscars You Need to Know

Published

3 days ago

March 14, 2026

Eric

By Samantha Ofole-Prince

Below are great facts about the forthcoming Oscars most entertainment buffs may not have know…

1. Oscar is a nickname. The origins of the nickname are not clear, but a popular story has been that Academy librarian Margaret Herrick thought it resembled her Uncle Oscar and said so. The Academy staff began referring to it as Oscar, but the Academy itself didn’t use the nickname officially until 1939.

2. Each Oscar statuette is individually handcrafted, and the Oscar statuette stands at 13½ inches high and weighs 81/2 pounds.

3. The Oscar statuette is the most recognized award in the world and statuettes have been presented since the first initial awards banquet on May 16, 1929.

4. At age 74, Clint Eastwood became the oldest winner to date in the Directing category.

5. Hattie McDaniel is the first African American to win a best supporting actress Oscar. She won for her role as Mammy in the 1939 movie “Gone with the Wind.”

6. Halle Berry is the first African American actress to win best actress Oscar. She won in 2002 for “Monster’s Ball.”

7. In 2002, Denzel Washington became the second African American actor to win the Oscar for Best Actor (“Training Day”), and the first African American actor to have won Oscars for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor (Sidney Poitier was the first to win an Oscar in 1963 for “Lilies of the Field “).

8. Whoopi Goldberg and Chris Rock have previously hosted the Oscars, but Billy Crystal remains the longest serving host. Crystal has hosted the Oscars nine times to date.

9. Attendance at the Oscars ceremony is by invitation only. No tickets are sold to the public and in Oscar history; only three circumstances have prevented the Academy Awards presentation from going off as scheduled. The first was in 1938, when destructive floods all but washed-out Los Angeles and delayed the ceremony. In 1968, the Awards ceremony was postponed out of respect for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who had been assassinated a few days earlier, and in 1981, the Awards were postponed for 24 hours because of the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan.

10. The longest Oscar telecast was the 74th Oscars show in 2002 which had a running time of 4 hours, 23 minutes. Shortest Oscar telecast was the 31st Academy Awards in 1959 which had a running time of 1 hour, 40 minutes.

The Oscars, one of the most-watched live entertainment events of the year, will be held on Sunday, March 15 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC, streamed live on Hulu. With 16 nominations, Sinners set the record for most nominations for a film for the 98th Oscars.

Samantha Ofole-Prince is a U.S. journalist and movie critic who covers industry-specific news that includes television and film.

Entertainment

South African Actress, Nomzamo Mbatha, Tells Success Story on Glo-Sponsored African Voices

Published

1 week ago

March 9, 2026

Eric

Delectable South African actress, Nomzamo Mbatha, will this week on Globacom-sponsored Cable News Network International’s African Voices Changemakers, reveal her trajectory from the Rainbow Nation to the global stage of make-belief.

In the 30-minute magazine programme, show anchor, Larry Madowo, will engage Mbatha on her soaring career which earned her a mention in the prestigious TIME100 Next in 2025.

The thespian who has been featured in two Hollywood productions has also gained acclaim in the beauty industry as she has signed endorsement deals with Neutrogena and Cream of Nature, both global brands in skincare and haircare, respectively.

Madowo and Mbatha sat for the exclusive interview on set of the final season of the hit television series, Shaka iLembe at the historic Cradle of Humankind outside Johannesburg where she highlighted the cultural significance of Shaka iLembe, and why giving back to her society is at the center of her aspirations as well as the legacy she desires to build beyond the glitz and glamour of the big screen.

This edition of African Voices Changemakers will be broadcast on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. with additional broadcasts at noon same day. On Sunday, further repeats hold at 4:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. and on Monday at 3:00 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. The repeats continue on Tuesday at 5:45 p.m and Saturday, March 14 at 7:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m and Sunday, March15 at 3:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m as well as Monday, March 16 at 3:00 a.m.

Entertainment

Tiwa Savage Launches Music Foundation in Lagos

Published

3 weeks ago

February 26, 2026

Eric

Nigerian Afrobeats star, Tiwa Savage, has unveiled a new initiative aimed at nurturing emerging African creatives, announcing the launch of the Tiwa Savage Music Foundation and a landmark partnership that will bring the prestigious Berklee College of Music to Lagos for the first time.

The 46-year-old singer announced on her social media platform on Wednesday, declaring, “After years of building globally… It’s time to build at home.”

She introduced Tiwa Savage Music Foundation as “a new initiative dedicated to empowering emerging African creatives through access, mentorship and world-class music education,” adding that, “For the first time ever, Berklee comes to Lagos with the Tiwa Savage Intensive Music Programme empowering Africa’s next generation of talent.”

Berklee College of Music, based in Boston, Massachusetts, is the world’s largest independent college of contemporary music, renowned for its programmes in jazz, modern American music, and a broad range of genres including rock, hip hop, reggae and more.

In an interview with CNN, the “Ma Lo” singer explained that while Afrobeats has gained global prominence, the industry requires more structural support to remain sustainable.

“Afrobeats has captured the world’s attention, but attention alone is not enough to sustain an industry. Talent is universal — but access is not,” she said.

According to CNN, the Tiwa Savage Music Foundation is designed to bridge that access gap.

Beyond supporting vocalists and performers, the foundation will also focus on producers, composers, sound engineers and music business professionals — areas Savage considers critical to building a durable creative economy across Africa.

The foundation’s first major project, tagged Berklee in Nigeria: Tiwa Savage Intensive Music Programme, will see Berklee faculty travel to Lagos from April 23 to 26, 2026, to host a fully funded four-day training for 100 emerging Nigerian music creators.

The programme marks Berklee’s first-ever event in West Africa.

Savage underscored the impact of short, focused training, saying, “You’d be surprised how much you can learn in four days. It gives you a taste of what’s possible and exposes you to parts of music you may not even realise you’re drawn to.”

With the launch of the Tiwa Savage Music Foundation and the forthcoming intensive programme in Lagos, the award-winning singer is now seeking to extend that same opportunity to the next generation — shifting from building global acclaim to building sustainable structures at home.