5 Questions With Tim Badejo
Published:Friday | October 24, 2025 | 12:05 AMYasmine Peru/Senior Gleaner Writer
When he attended the Ceremony of Investiture and Presentation of National Honours and Awards at King’s House on National Heroes Day, Tim Badejo stepped out looking like African royalty. The Nigerian promoter, who used to be based in Sweden, but now lives between both countries, was in the island for a brief visit. He saw an opportunity to visit Jamaica, which he loves, and seized it. Badejo, who has a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering, gave up the corporate world decades ago in favour of music.
He speaks English, German, Swedish and Yoruba – languages that equip him for his work in the music business, which involves interacting with artistes and their management teams from across the globe.
The CEO of Maestro Entertainment and Dubble Bubble, Badejo considers the music business his mission and livelihood. Since the 1980s, he has introduced major reggae acts – from Dennis Brown to Sean Paul – and world music performers to audiences in Scandinavia.
He has booked artistes such as Youssou N’Dour from Senegal, the Mighty Sparrow, Lord Nelson, Arrow, Lucky Dube, and Miriam Makeba, and arranged early performances by Swedish artistes Peps, Kalle Baah, and Tony Ellis. Badejo also has an archive in the Swedish Royal National Library and has managed artistes including Ijahman Levi and Eek-A-Mouse.
His bio states that he was “one of the founders of the music scene [in] the heart and soul of Stockholm” and has heavily influenced the live music scene in the Swedish capital. His influence, however, extends beyond Sweden. As it relates to reggae music, Badejo had a hand in the creation of the Reggae Compassionate Act, which stirred a lot of debate in the early 2000s. High on the agenda of Badejo, who is involved with the Festac Music Festival, is “getting the diaspora to come back home”.
This week, 5 Questions With ... had a quick sit-down with Badejo.
What brings you to Jamaica this time?
I am here to support my friend Berty [Hilbert Grant] who was honoured by the Jamaican Government for contribution to the growth of reggae music internationally. When Berty told me about his award, I said I have to be in Jamaica to witness this special occasion.
You have been involved in the music scene in Scandinavia for decades. How did you get started in music?
I left Nigeria to go to university in Sweden to study engineering. While there I fell in love with music and the rest is history. I have been working in the industry for 50 years and it has been wonderful. I did bookings around Europe back in the day ... for artistes performing in Norway, Denmark, Finland and Sweden. My company, Maestro Entertainment, has presented and organised festivals, tours and concerts with, if not all, then at least most of the greatest reggae artistes to ever set foot on Scandinavian soil.
Who are some of the reggae artistes you have worked with over the years?
Well, the list is long: Gregory Isaacs, Bunny Wailer, Sugar Minott, Sean Paul, Dennis Brown, Burning Spear, Israel Vibration, Desmond Dekker, Shaggy, Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Marcia Griffiths, Etana, Mr Vegas, Mavado, Cocoa Tea, Tarrus Riley, Mutabaruka, Barrington Levy, Daddy U Roy, Black Uhuru, Rita Marley, The Mighty Diamonds, Jimmy Cliff, Inner Circle, The Gladiators, Julian and Kymani Marley, Frankie Paul, Abyssinians, Ethiopians, Capleton, Sizzla and T.O.K., to name a few.
Is reggae your focus?
I work with artistes from other genres, including Afrobeats, however, I was one of the first persons to start promoting reggae in Scandinavia. When reggae music was being banned in Europe, a group of us met and put together the Reggae Compassionate Act. We had a meeting with [Peter] Tatchell and got the artistes to sign the act so that the music could be played and performed freely again.
What, in your opinion, separates the music from the past with the current productions?
Back in the day there was more creativity ... now it’s diluted. Great musicians wrote music that stood the test of time. These days, it is a totally different vibes. The people with talent simply sample what was there before.
BRAWTA
What would people be surprised to know about you?
I met Malcolm X in Nigeria in 1964.