By Charles Okogene
Majekodumi Fasheke, better known as Majek Fashek, was born and weaned in Benin City where he started his musical odyssey with the likes of Amos Mcroy Jeggs, now a pastor bssed in Idimu area of Lagos, Black ‘O’ Rice, now domiciled in Holland among others in a band called Jastix.
majek fashek
They became regular faces for viewers of NTA Benin. But one thing led to another, the band disintegrated and they all went their separate ways only to meet again in Lagos while in search of solo record deals at the defunct Anthony Village, Lagos based Japex Studio.
Their plan of dropping an LP each for Japex again did not work out due to circumstances out of the purview of this piece.
And like they say, quitters don’t win and winners don’t quit, Majek continued on his solo search for a musical glory and relevance until the good Lord led him to Ikeja, Lagos based Tanbansi Records owned by the late Chief G.A.D Tabansi with multi track studio in Onitsha.
At Tabansi, he released his debut album, which turned out a monumental hit and invoked rain any time it was aired on radio. Majek became an instant star. The album titled Prisoner of Conscience contained the hit track, Send Down The Rain.
But as common with artistes of those days and their recording company, disagreement as per royalty and number of albums sold crept in. With the war of words which later degenerated into a court case when the handsome singer moved over to Chief (Mrs) Keji Okunowo’s Sony Music where he released his sophomore album, So Long, Too Long with an American version titled Spirit of Love. Songs contained in this album was used as a movie sound track in one of Spike Lee’s movies.
It is instructive to note that the album So Long, Too Long was recorded in America and was brought home to Nigeria to be released; the American tour, which was his first as a recording musician was as a result of the popularity his debut album ‘Prisoner of Conscience’ which later became the name of his band gave him.
Just as the tour marked his foray into the international music stage it also signaled his gradual descend into the land of the dead.
Descend in the sense that before the tour, Majek was a non Marijuana smoking or alcohol guzzling rastaman.
But Like the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti who also became a lover of weed after his nine months tour of America; Majek on his return from Uncle Sam’s country, became not only a Chimney but a grandson of Bacchus. He sold his soul and musical talent to the hard stuff and lost the opportunity of becoming another great musical talent to the world from Nigeria after Fela or King Sunny Ade; he helped America, ‘ile ika’, (land of wickedness apologies to Fela) kill him gradually until he finally sucumbed to death on June 1, 2020.
