Jimmy Cliff, the Jamaican reggae artiste who was very popular in Nigeria in the 1970s and '80s recently died at the age of 81.
Mr Cliff came to Nigeria many times in the 1970s (particularly in 1974 and 1976) and he often said that his 1976 visit was bitter-sweet.
The sweet part was that there were many fans at the airport and they lined the streets from the airport to his hotel.
The bitter part was that a man claimed that he had a deal with Jimmy Cliff (which he claimed was signed in London) that he would bring him to Nigeria, but Jimmy Cliff broke the deal. Jimmy Cliff was detained for three days, but he was released when the case got to court because the accuser had no evidence.
The famous Jamaican journalist, Lindsay Barrett, who lived and worked in Nigeria in the 1970s and '80s was one of the people that actually convinced Jimmy Cliff to come to Nigeria.
REWIND: In 1976 song ‘The News’, Reggae icon Jimmy Cliff recalled being detained in Nigeria over contract dispute
The recent passing of Jimmy Cliff has brought renewed attention to the life and stories of the Jamaican Reggae veteran: one of which was his “bitter-sweet experience” during his first visit to Nigeria decades ago.
In a July 2012 interview with The Arts Desk, the 81-year-old recalled the sweet part of his trip, narrating how upon his arrival in Nigeria, thousands of fans were at the airport to welcome him, lining the streets all the way to his hotel.
“My first trip to Africa was Nigeria. It was a bitter-sweet experience. Sweet because of the thousands of people at the airport awaiting me,” he said.
“I’d never had that adulation, I only saw it for The Beatles, so to have it for myself was really great. They lined the street from the airport to the hotel. It was amazing.”
The singer revealed that the bitter part of the experience began when a show promoter claimed he had failed to honour a previous performance agreement in London.
Cliff said due to allegation, the promoter filed a civil suit against him while he was in Nigeria.
The allegation, according to the singer, led to him being arrested and “thrown in jail,” where he spent three nights in detention.
He added that when the case finally went to court, the promoter’s claim collapsed due to a complete lack of evidence, and the suit was promptly thrown out.
“The bitter part of it was I got thrown in jail for no reason at all. A man came and said, ‘I was the one who was supposed to bring Jimmy Cliff to Africa. I had a contract with him in London and he didn’t turn up so now he’s here I’m taking out a civil suit against him,'” he said.
“They put me in jail for three nights. When I went to court, where’s the evidence? Nothing! So they threw it out. Nigeria was a pretty rough place but I didn’t mind – I liked the energy.”
The incident was significant enough in his life that he had previously referenced it in his 1976 single ‘The News‘.
“Have you heard the news/ Have you heard the news/ Have you heard the news/ Have you heard the news,” the lyrics read.
“I was in Africa down in Nigeria/ Oh they threw me in jail/ I had one hell getting bail.”
In the song, Cliff also dismissed the promoter’s claim as a “lie and propaganda” designed to “scandalise my name”.
They scandalizng my name/ They want to make me look shame/ Because I got little fame/ They want to make me look shame/ Have you heard the news Everybody/ Have you heard the news /Have you heard the news/ Have you heard the news/ It started by some liar/ Spreading like wild fire/ Propaganda all around/ News believed in every town/ In London ‘Merica then in Jamaica/ All over Trinidad/ Oh Lord I felt so bad eeh eeh,” the lyrics continued.
Cliff passed away on Monday after suffering a seizure linked to the pneumonia he had been battling.
The veteran reggae singer is survived by his wife, Latifa, and their children, daughter Lilty and son Aken.
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