Majek Fashek is Dead - Here's What You Never Knew About The Reggae Legend

If you belong to the 1980s and 1990s generations or you are a Nigerian
reggae lover, then you must have heard of Majek Fashek.
Yes, the man with the long flowing dreads who sang Send down the rain.
It was a huge hit then and still is now.
The song “Send Down The Rain” was the most popular song of the year,
and in 1989 Majek Fashek won six PMAN awards for it as the “Song of the
Year”, “Album of the Year”, and “Reggae Artist of the Year” among other
awards.
Majek Fashek born as Majekodunmi Fasheke in Benin City was one of the
few musicians who blessed us in Nigeria with reggae.
Majek Fashek grew up in a family that loved music. He grew up listening to
Bob Marley alongside Fela. This influenced his style of music which
sometimes differs from reggae.
His music which predominantly was about black freedom and emancipation
and often laced with biblical quotes was often a mixture of local musical
genres like fuji and jùjú. He called this musical blend kpangolo.
Majek Fashek started his career in the 1980s as a member of Benin-based
reggae group Jastix, he was known by the stage name Rajesh Kanal.
In 1988, Jastix disbanded and Majek went solo and began performing with
the stage name Majek Fashek taken from his real name Majekodunmi
Fasheke.
Shortly after signing with Tabansi Records, he released his debut album
“Prisoner of Conscience.” This album placed him on the charts of top
Nigerian reggae artists.

Under Sony Nigeria, he released the album ‘So Long Too Long’ in 1991.
This album was included on Putumayo World Music‘s first album.
His remarkable “Spirit Of Love” album was released under Interscope
Records in the same 1991.
In 1992, he appeared on Late Night with David Letterman where he
performed the song “So Long Too Long” for the television audience to
promote his new 1991 album.
Majek Fashek was a musician and sometime actor. In a 2000 Nollywood
film titled ' Mark of the Beast', he starred as a supporting actor. He also did
a commercial for Diamalt, a non-alcoholic beverage company.
However, in the early 2000s, he was alleged to have gotten into drugs
which drastically affected his music as well as his wealth at the time. He
later denied it and attributed his problem to his dabble into spiritism.
In 2005, he released a comeback album titled ‘Little Patience’ under the
label Coral music and marketed in Nigeria by Filmmaker Charles Novia’s
November Production Limited. This marked a resurgence as he went on to
perform in concerts and shows especially in Nigeria.
He was married to Rita Fashek with whom he had four children. They later
divorced.
In 2015, Fashek's drug addiction was made public as well as his financial
status. He had gone bankrupt.
He checked into rehab in Abuja.
Upon recovery, Fashek contributed the song We Are Not Afraid to a video
that featured 200 celebrities who came together to raise funds for the
International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Human Rights Watch (HRW).

In September 2019, there were rumors of Majek Fashek's death. However,
his manager denied it but admitted that Fashek was critically ill.
Popular billionaire businessman Femi Otedola indicated his interest in
covering all the singer’s medical expenses.
Unfortunately, In the early hours of June 1, veteran Nigerian reggae artist
was announced to have passed on in the United States.
This came as a shock to many reggae lovers in Nigeria who knew and
loved Majek Fashek and his music.
He left a musical legacy that won't easily be forgotten. Now, before you
rush to download some of his hit tracks, that's if you don't already have
them, please tap the subscribe button and give us a thumbs up would ya?