"I DIED AND CAME BACK TO THE LAND OF THE LIVING," SWAGGA DON

 

The Afrikan Avatar Swagga Don says he once died and came back to life on July 9, 2019. Without showing any medical proof (how can I? He said!), the man from the Caribbean who is visiting Kenya (Africa) on a ‘special mission’ also says that in his near-death experience, all his major organs collapsed, which mysteriously recovered. Through this experience, the doctors revealed that Don was born with one kidney, which was one of his collapsed organs, which now functions optimally. This he terms as a miracle and the healing hands of the gods and the ancestors. "I was out in the Cosmos - dead. Then a soft voice, which was neither male nor female, came and told me I w, would be on a, and a sweet b, breath came back into my mouth and then myst, seriously through my ri, right hand I saw a soft-, luminous blue light of my spirit coming back! Re-entering into my body, giving me back my life,” said Swagga Don, his body weight resting on his sofa set facing a giant television screen mounted on the wall as he regales me spellbound with his story, quite at ease with himself. From the living room of his spacious Kenyan home, just a few meters from State House, complete with a private office, the house gives a hint of a man of means. But Swagga Don insists that he doesn't live off his music. To him, music is a medium he uses to spread palindromic messages from his ancestors to the Afrikan continent, hence his epithet –The AFRIKAN AVATAR. A man with a unique taste and passion for African art and a mystic artiste, Swagga Don is a veteran poet, songwriter, singer, composer, music & film producer, creative film director, and scriptwriter. At one point in his long but somewhat underground musical career, he was also a poet, singer, and songwriter signed to the UK's Virgin Record together on the same day with his fellow black activist Linton Kwesi Johnson, the Jamaican-born, British-based dub poet, and activist. But Swagga Don’s falling out with the co-owner of Virgin Records ( a white South African ) because of his powerful anti-apartheid music at the time meant that his works were never released. He dubbed his never-released works 'the lost tapes,' which were later recovered after thirty years and are being remixed for future release. He once worked with the famous pop group 'Hot Chocolate' and was the UK manager for the world-renowned legend the late Great. Marvin Gaye. Born in one of the many islands that form the Caribbean and a descendant of enslaved Africans, Swagga Don is now ‘back home as the AfFRIKAN AVATAR. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, an avatar is the "manifestation of a deity or released soul in bodily form on earth; an incarnate divine teacher." In Hinduism, an avatar is a "god" who appears on earth as a person."  In a two-hour-long talk at his private residence, the “Afrikan Township, Beautiful Abuja and Carpenta" hit-maker never revealed his age, name, or what he does outside music. There was a mention, however, of his daughter, to whom he is also spirituality connected, and his mother and grandmother (who was his spiritual guide and who, as an African slave descendant, practiced and worshipped our Afrikan ancestors and our original religious ways of life and taught him the same). Again, he did not name their names or age.  But he related intimately to me that three years ago, he died and then resurrected a phenomenon that the Nairobian could not independently verify.  According to the musician and wearer of variously displayed Afrikan artistic masks as his brand identity, the reason why his ancestors saved him from the near-death experience was, first –to take care of his daughter and secondly, because "my work on earth was not yet finished". According to the mysterious musician with a covert identity, Swagga Don, the AFRIKAN AVATAR intimated that Afrikan ancestors sent him back to earth from the land of the dead with a specific purpose to fulfill. "I have a link with our ancestors. Many messages come to the Afrikan Avatar (Swagga Don) to deliver to the continent and the Afrikan Diaspora. I only use music to deliver these messages because our ancestors want to see the renaissance of Africa, and through music, there is a major unifying force that unites all of us Afrikans,” Cosmic mission His music covers all Afrikan & Caribbean genres and all emotions. It includes African Township, Capenta, Rivers of Babylon (with a new spiritual message), Beautiful Abuja, Come Baby Come, and the yet-to-be-released CELESTIAL message sent to him just six weeks ago, and which he has recorded here in Kenya, "ALAY ALAY’ whose video has also just been shot and produced in Kenya. He has also formed alliances and collaborations with Ulopa, Prezzo, Shiko, and Nameless, to name a few artists with whom he intends to release remixes and new music. The ‘Swagga Music,' his own newly created genre, is a blend of unique African-Caribbean music, songs, and polyrhythms inspired by and has specific messages from the ancestors. "Our Ancestors own and command the universe, and as their messenger, I had to begin my new musical journey at specific and exact times and dates they gave me! I’m on their cosmic sailing ship and aircraft; they own the engine of the journey, the journey time, and arrival locations", he once told the Fashion Business and Innovation magazine media crew. Swagga Don, the AFRIKAN AVATAR, says he is on their cosmic mission for specific palindromic timings, which have already been executed. These timings and dates are “I was commanded to begin the musical journey and messages and launch to a strict cosmic timing which is palindromic. "These times will never be repeated! Ever!! So, I was told to own it, command these palindrome cosmic vibrations, and steer their cosmic ship as these palindromic dates and times are cosmic and recognized as very powerful by our Afrikan ancestors.” But is Swagga Don an artiste, an activist, or a messenger? “He is all of the above. Most artists are activists who carry messages that sometimes change the outlook of life.' "My mission is to unite all Afrikans on the continent and in the diaspora for one purpose: to take control of their continent and natural resources! And be the joyous people with great culture, fashion, style, and love with a new pride in who and what we are! Afrikans! a great people with love for our brothers and sisters and pride in ourselves, our history, and our way of life replicated and depicted in all my songs expressing all our various emotions in our lives”.  To the man from the Caribbean & Africa and now with residences in Africa, Swagga Don the AFRIKAN AVATAR relates to the Nairobian that his music embraces and will influence the thinking of Africans in general, whether it is to inspire, meditate, relate, or to make informed decisions in the various aspects of their lives but begin reliving the Afrikan renaissance. The Afrikan Avatar has upcoming projects, which include The AFRIKAN AVATAR animation series and A YOUTUBE CHANNEL called "The AFRIKAN AVATAR Speaks," to highlight and interact with Afrikans on the various issues of the African continent. Don prides himself in his ‘unique’ sense of fashion, promoting masked Afrikan art form and AFRIKAN fashion as a walking living display, which is evident in his music videos.