Veteran actor, folk singer, Jimi Solanke, is dead.
He was 81 years old.
Jimi Solanke, was said to have passed on when he was being rushed to the hospital at Ilisan, Ogun State, on Monday.
He was said to have been in and out of hospital from December last year before he died.
Born on July 4, 1942, Solanke graduated from the University of Ibadan, where he obtained a diploma certificate in drama.
He later moved to the United States.
There, he set up a drama group called The Africa Review, focusing on African culture.
The members of his group distinguished themselves by usually putting on African clothing, specifically Yoruba costume.
He began his story telling career in Los Angeles, California where he performed in black African schools.
Jimi Solanke returned to Nigeria in 1986 with three members of the African Review group to work with the Nigerian Television Authority.
His reputation earned him the lead role in most of Ola Balogun’s films.
He was part of the team that made the film of Kongi’s Harvest by Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka.
