Disc jockey and entertainment promoter Raymond Browne, popularly known as DJ RayBee, has died.
Mr Browne, the founder and CEO of the online radio station BrowneHill Radio, was a well-respected figure in the world of music, film and culture promotion.
He was the programmes director at Freedom Park on Lagos Island, where he suffered a heart attack after watching the Champions League match between Arsenal and PSG on Tuesday night.
Gboyega Adelaja, a renowned artist and close friend of the late Browne, shared a poignant account of the events leading to the death
In a message shared within a “Friends of Freedom Park” WhatsApp group, Adelaja expressed his shock and sorrow over the sudden demise.
“I am devastated and shocked to say the least. It’s never happened in my life that someone sitting not too far from me is pronounced dead after a few minutes,” Mr Adelaja wrote.
According to Adelaja, the evening began with their usual camaraderie at Freedom Park. Shortly after the match, Adelaja approached Browne for a cigarette, which the latter handed him in their customary playful manner. Moments later, tragedy struck.
“We were told he’d been rushed to the hospital at St. Nicholas after falling as he walked towards the toilet at Freedom Park,” Adelaja recounted.
Accompanied by Niyi Omotosho and Funlola Adesola, Adelaja hurried to St. Nicholas Hospital, where they joined other concerned friends in the emergency corridor. Inside, doctors were performing CPR in an attempt to revive Browne.
“We could hear the sound of the CPR being done. We were praying for him to come back to life,” he wrote.
Despite their hopes and prayers, the outcome was grim. “Theo [Lawson] went in and came out to say the words ‘We lost him.’ At that moment, I knew life is like a thread,” Adelaja recalled.
He described seeing Browne’s lifeless body on the emergency unit bed. “We touched his body; it was getting cold. He wasn’t breathing. He was dead. I still can’t believe it,” he lamented.
Filmmaker and co-founder of iREP International Documentary Film Festival Femi Odugbemi paid an emotional tribute to Browne on Facebook. “The Directorate of the iREP Documentary Film Forum deeply mourns the passing last night of Bola Browne — a wonderful creative soul, a kindred spirit, and a tireless champion of the arts,” Odugbemi wrote. He highlighted Browne’s contributions as a DJ, curator, and promoter who brought energy, dedication, and warmth to artistic spaces such as Freedom Park and iREP film screenings.
“Whether spinning music at Freedom Park, curating concerts, hosting events, or holding space for filmmakers and audiences alike, he brought warmth, energy, and unwavering dedication,” Odugbemi added.
Journalist and poet Femi Morgan also expressed his grief in a heartfelt tribute. Describing Browne as “a beautiful soul” and “an intellectual who dropped the suit and tie one day to follow his dream as a DJ,” Morgan reflected on the impact of Browne’s decision to embrace his passion.
“With his DJ job, he met diplomats, curators, culture influencers, artists and artistes. We were not that close, but anytime we met, we talked like brothers. For me, I felt you were one of those reincarnates that will DJ for a long time,” Morgan wrote.
Browne’s illustrious career included serving as head of event and sponsorship at iGroove Radio, floor manager at Lagos Carnival and head of events at TVC/Radio Continental. He was a beloved figure in Nigeria’s creative community, recognised for his ability to connect people and open doors for emerging talents.
He is survived by his son, siblings and a legion of friends and admirers who cherished his unwavering commitment to the arts.
