Says he’s ready to work with some younger artistes By Benjamin Njoku Legendary reggae star, Ras Kimono has dropped a new single after many years of hiatus from the music scene. The new single titled; “Blessed Africa” already has been released digitally by his former record label, Premier Records Limited. The song is a reflection of what Nigeria and Africa at large have been going through despite the rich mineral, human and natural resources in the land.
In a chat with WG, Kimono said: “We are in a situation where Africans are poor even though we have plenty in terms of good soil, crude oil that has become a curse to the nation.
We also have intellectuals that would prefer to take their intellects elsewhere other than Nigeria. We have musical talents that are being exploited and left in penury, our pensioners cannot eat the fruit of their labour, our schools are in horrible conditions, we have half-baked graduates who cannot complete a statement. What is really wrong with a continent that is really Blessed by God?” Explaining why he still maintains his rub-a-dub style of music in an age where every artiste seems to be playing commercial music, the veteran musician said “Reggae music remains a genre of music that brings people back to reality and self-consciousness. ‘It’s also a conscious music through which message of hope is always passed across to the hopeless,” he added. “We all cannot sing about naked women and alcohol when things are not right in the society; we are the voice of the people. Besides, after 35 years in the music industry, why would I change to commercial music when it was conscious music that brought me fame and fortune? Make no mistake, there are people who still appreciate and crave for my style of reggae. The world loves reggae. I am open to other styles as long as they blend with my philosophy and can send the right message out. I intend to work with some of the younger artistes who can hold their own”. The new single is currently enjoying airplay on radio stations across the nation. It is also on digital platforms like music+andBoomplay.
In a chat with WG, Kimono said: “We are in a situation where Africans are poor even though we have plenty in terms of good soil, crude oil that has become a curse to the nation.
We also have intellectuals that would prefer to take their intellects elsewhere other than Nigeria. We have musical talents that are being exploited and left in penury, our pensioners cannot eat the fruit of their labour, our schools are in horrible conditions, we have half-baked graduates who cannot complete a statement. What is really wrong with a continent that is really Blessed by God?” Explaining why he still maintains his rub-a-dub style of music in an age where every artiste seems to be playing commercial music, the veteran musician said “Reggae music remains a genre of music that brings people back to reality and self-consciousness. ‘It’s also a conscious music through which message of hope is always passed across to the hopeless,” he added. “We all cannot sing about naked women and alcohol when things are not right in the society; we are the voice of the people. Besides, after 35 years in the music industry, why would I change to commercial music when it was conscious music that brought me fame and fortune? Make no mistake, there are people who still appreciate and crave for my style of reggae. The world loves reggae. I am open to other styles as long as they blend with my philosophy and can send the right message out. I intend to work with some of the younger artistes who can hold their own”. The new single is currently enjoying airplay on radio stations across the nation. It is also on digital platforms like music+andBoomplay.
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