By Brian Okoth

Celebrated Zimbabwean Jazz artist Kelly Rusike is dead.

The entertainer, who was part of the Rusike Brothers group, died on Wednesday, May 17.

The group said in a statement that Kelly died of diabetes complications.

“It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of our young brother Kelly Rusike who passed away on the 17th of May 2023 after a long battle with diabetes,” the Rusike Brothers said.

“Kelly lived for his music and touched many lives through it. His music will forever live in our hearts as he travels to a higher place where ‘the journey continues’.”

Kelly was a veteran producer, songwriter and entrepreneur. He owned Shed Productions, a famous recording house in Zimbabwe’s capital Harare.

The Rusike Brothers’ fame skyrocketed in the 1980s and 1990s.