Following the announcement of Ras Kimono’s death, there have been various questions left unanswered.
When Fuji superstar, Ayinde Barrister turned 40, he released the “Wonders At 40” music project, which in one of the songs, he noted: “omo o eyi pe dagba (it doesn’t take too long for a child to grow old)”. Ayinde lived for over two decades after his songs on how he felt at 40. He died in December 2010, in a London hospital, aged 62.
2face Idibia and Sound Sultan recently turned 40, and they both celebrated the feat in grand style. What that means, is that, the young stars of yesterday are getting older. Our recent research shows that over 60% of the famous music stars from the late 90s and early 20s are presently struggling to survive. Many of them have failed several times, trying to make a return to the fast growing music industry, while others remain inactive as they can’t keep up with the race.
Ukeleke Onwubuya, more popularly known as Reggae musician Ras Kimono, passed away on Sunday June 10 in Lagos, aged 60. The “Rhumba Style” hitmaker ‘slumped’ at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, while waiting to board a flight to US, and was rushed to the hospital where he lost his life. Following Kimono’s death, many Nigerians started thinking how their childhood memories are fading without hope of revival.
Wizkid, Davido, Olamide, Tiwa Savage, and Yemi Alade are presently the face of Nigerian music, and many people believe that the life of a famous musician is all champagne, gold chains, steady flow of royalty payments and more to pay for it all. So what happens if these stars wind up broke 30 years from now, or more? What happens when those material prizes, the money, the cars, the clothes, all start to work less in favor of the aging stars. The stars need to start thinking and building urgently are good health systems, reliable and secure recording deals, copyrights, payments and royalties.
Many music legends have passed away in the past 10 years, and the major cause of their deaths aren’t car accidents, heart attack nor suicidal, but illness and pains they’ve suffered in silence to avoid been condemned by the people that once (and still) hailed them as the best.
By Hassan Sanusi
Photo Credit: Getty
