Emotions ran high yesterday, as the
remains of late reggae legend, Ras Kimono, who died on Sunday, June
10, were brought for lying-in-state at the headquarters of Copyright
Society of Nigeria, COSON, in Ikeja, Lagos.
The motorcade conveying Ras Kimono’s
body arrived the COSON House, at about 9.30a.m.,where a short prayer
for the repose of the soul of the departed was offered, before
setting out for his home town, Onicha Olona, Asaba, the Delta State
capital, for the activities leading to the burial tomorrow. Ras
Kimon’s remains were accompanied by a strong delegation of the
COSON leadership, family members, friends, fans and other
personalities in the Nigerian entertainment industry.
While the lying-in-state lasted, the
deceased’s wife, colleagues and close friends could not hold back
tears knowing that it was the last time they were going to behold the
reggae icon’s face on earth
From Orits Williki to Alariwo of Africa
and Shina Peters, it was a free flow of tears as they filed out to
pay their last respects to their departed colleague.
Kimon’s wife, Efe was overcome by
grief and could not contain herself on sighting the glass casket
bearing the remains of her late husband. Standing beside the casket,
she kept confessing her undying love to the man she fell in love with
as his manager and recently had a baby girl for. Leading the
procession, the Rastafarian Movement in Nigeria, led by its grand
patron, Ras Edu Dickson, said Ras Kimono lives on. He said he was
confident that the ‘Rub-a-Dub’ master had gone to be with his
maker. “Ras Kimono never dies, but lives on,“ he said.
Speaking in the same vein, the Chairman
of COSON, Chief Tony Okoroji, said his happiness is that Ras Kimono
did not die unsung.
His words: “Ras Kimono was a giver.
He always gave his heart, his smile, his immense talent and his love
to one and all. He had no angst against anyone. “Kimono was totally
dedicated to the COSON cause.
He was not just a COSON member, but 100
percent committed COSON activist. As a hyper-creative person, he
fought anything that he thought would bring COSON down or tear the
music industry apart. He saw in COSON a watershed institution for the
development of the Nigerian creative industry which must be nurtured
for the next generation.”
Kimon’s daughter, Oge who has taken
after her father as a reggae star, said she would miss everything
about him, including his love and care, while his widow, Efe,
described him as ‘a loving husband’ adding that he was a
different specie.
“We were always together, he was
always the best. Of course, I have had other relationships, but Ras
Kimono was different. I would miss him forever,” she mourned.
Meanwhile, Kimono’s lying-in-state
was preceded by a red-carpet tribute night which climaxed the
week-long funeral programme of the music legend, who would be laid to
rest in his hometown, Onicha Olona, Delta State on Saturday August
25, 2018. Ras Kimono celebrated his 60th birthday amid fanfare in
Lagos in May.
In October 2017, he dropped a new
single after many years of hiatus from the music scene. It set the
tone as he released more songs and toured Africa, Europe and the
U.S.A. He also won several awards, including the Nigerian Music
Awards, and Fame Music Awards.
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