Majek Fashek is dead
His manager, Omenka Uzoma, confirmed the news via a short video on Instagram, saying “the legend has gone to be with the Lord, but this time we should all celebrate him.
“He has done a lot for Nigeria and Africa, whatever the family decides will get to you.”
Fashek who was born in Benin City to an Edo mother and a Ijesha father was as controversial as they come.
Going solo he had a unique reggae style which gave birth to his monster hit “Send down the rain” part of the album “Prisoner of Conscience” that broke every chart in Nigeria and abroad winning “Song of the Year”, “Album of the Year”, and “Reggae Artist of the Year” in 1989.
Fashek was married to Rita Fashek who inspired the song “Without You”; the couple had four children together, but have since divorced. In 2015, it was revealed that Fashek was bankrupt and battling drug addiction. After admitting that he needed help, he was admitted into a drug rehabilitation centre in Abuja, but has since recovered, and returned to music.
Besides his struggle with drug addiction, other health conditions required his hospitalization on several occasions. He was rumored dead in September 2019 but his manager quelled the rumors, confirming that Majek had indeed been critically ill, hospitalized at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich, England, and in dire need of financial assistance
The ‘rain maker’ as he his fondly called has has worked with various artists worldwide including Tracy Chapman, Jimmy Cliff, Michael Jackson, Snoop Dogg, and Beyoncé.
Majek’s life and work are still prominently celebrated by Nigerian music fans and beyond. His legacy of excellence in music and worldwide impact through instrumentation will live imminently.
