In the recent turn of events, the Nigerian community is grieving over the unrecoverable loss of Jimi Solanke.
Nigerian folk musician, drama artist, and iconic master storyteller Jimi Solanke died unexpectedly. He passed away on February 5, 2024, at 81. At the same time, the exact details of the place of his death and the specific time of his death are not disclosed yet through any official means.
The information about Jimi’s death is so little to share. This less information makes his death nothing other than a mystery. The details about the cause of Jimi Solanke’s death, or the exact circumstances that surrounded his death, are not determined or have not been made public. The community is looking for the details as they want to know what happened to their beloved Jimi.
The death news of Jimi Solanke was announced through a Facebook post by Femi Anikulapo-Kuti. He stated that
RIP, Uncle Jimi Sholanke. A great, wonderful soul has departed. He brought love and joy wherever he went. We pray for peace, love, and strength for his family and loved ones.
Jimi Solanke’s Artistic Life
Jimi Solanke was an amazing person who was born in July 1942. He was well-known as a Nigerian folk musician, along with that he was also a drama artist and he used to be a playwright. Regarding his educational background, he obtained a diploma in drama from the University of Ibadan and decided to move to the United States. After settling in the United States, he created “The Africa Review,” a drama group based on African stories. This way, Jimi gained prominence, fame, and pride in Los Angeles, California. The interesting part is that Solanke was celebrated as an amazing “master storyteller” by CNN. In 1986, he returned to Nigeria. On his return, he could bring the members of The Africa Review to collaborate with the Nigerian Television Authority.
Solanke’s long artistic career was evidence of his 3 Cs: Commitment, Consistency, and Collaboration. He was dedicated to preserving Nigerian cultural heritage. As he was a native of Nigeria, he did what he possibly could for the entertainment and art industry, especially through his amazing music and storytelling.
Jimi Solanke was very worried and concerned about his young people in Nigeria as they had no touch with their traditional music and cultural roots, which he thought was alarming. So, in his last years, he worked very hard to create a small institute for the arts and creativity in his hometown, Ipara, in Ogun State. The main purpose of that goal was to help his young people connect again with their culture and appreciate it.
Jimi Solanke’s lifelong contributions to the arts mark an amazing boost in the Nigerian cultural heritage. His legacy will go on and will continue to inspire the coming generations in Nigeria. His absence will remain in that space in the hearts of his people.
Amelia Warner
Amelia Warner writes all the Latest Articles. She mostly covers Entertainment topics, but at times loves to write about movie reviews as well.
