One of the voices that stood against oppression in world of Music and the reggae genre, has departed the earth. Nigerian Reggae legend, Majek Fashek, died on the 1st of June 2020 in New York.
He was considered one of the original Nigerian artists to be drawn to the music of the Caribbean, specifically reggae.
He also mixed indigenous generes like fuji, jùjú into his style which he calls kpangolo.
Having grown up in a fervently religious and musical family; he was exposed to the imported sounds of Bob Marley at an early age, alongside the innovations of local stars such as Fela Kuti.
The 57-year-old singer, who toured the world with the sound of African reggae with hits such as the ‘Prisoner of Conscience’ and ‘Send Down the Rain’, died leaving behind unfulfilled projects.
The song “Send Down The Rain” became the most popular song of the year; and in 1989 he won six PMAN awards for “Song of the Year”, “Album of the Year”, and “Reggae Artist of the Year” among others.
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 was moved to New York to reunite with his wife and three sons on the advice of his doctors after 10 years of separation.
Meanwhile, Majek Fashek’s demise was coming two years after the Nigerian music industry lost another iconic singer, Ras Kimono to the pangs of death.
To many, Majek Fashek’s last days on earth could better be imagined than described; yet Majek would continue to live on in the minds of his fans.
