Majek Fashek (The Rain Maker) Bows to Eternal Call

Majekodunmi Fasheke, with the stage name Majek Fashek and without doubt Nigeria’s leading ragae artist dies at 57. The legendary Reggae star died after battling with cancer for almost a year.

Majek’s manager, Omenka Uzoma broke the news of his death earlier on Tuesday, 2nd June, 2020, in an Instagram post that Majek Fashek “has gone to be with the LORD his Maker.”

Majek Fashek’s Years of Battle With Chronic Ill-Health

After Majek’s hit days, he has in recent years battled chronic illness where he was in November 2019 taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, London. It was reliably gathered that Majek died in a hospital in New York on Monday around 5:45pm. Majek Fashek who before his death aged 57-years was a Nigerian guitarist and singer-songwriter.

Majek Fashek’s Rise to Stardom

Majek Fashek became popular in the Nigerian and African scene when he dropped the multiple award-winning ‘Send Down the Rain’ in the album “Prisoner of Conscience” in 1988.

Fashek who would later be known as the rainmaker, after “Send Down the Rain”, collaborated with numerous international artists like Beyoncé, Michael Jackson, Tracy Chapman, Snoop Dogg, Jimmy Cliff amongst others.

Majek Fashek’s Early Life

Born in Benin City on March 7, 1963, to an Edo mother, he would trace his roots to the Benin Kingdom in Nigeria. His musical career started from the Aladura church choir in Benin city where he started to play the guitar and trumpet and also composed songs for the choir.

In the early eighties, Fashek joined the musical group, Jastix, with McRoy Gregg, and Drummer Black ‘Rice, where they featured as a band on the show, Music Panorama, on NTA Benin, and worked together with another popular reggae group, The Mandators.

After Jastix was disbanded in 1988, Majek started a solo career by signing with Tabansi Records wherehe released the award-winning and ground-breaking album, Prisoner of Conscience” and became a super star with his “Send Down The Rain”, winning 6 Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) awards for “Song of the Year”, “Album of the Year”, “Reggae Artist of the Year” and more.

In 1989, he released “I & I Experience” which was also a album. After he left Tabansi Records, in early 1990s, he signed on to CBS Nigeria and came out with “So Long Too Long”.

Majek released “The Best of Majek Fashek in 1994 on Flame Tree label, which included a chart-busting cover of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song”.

As the stars dim on the Rain Maker, the entire world will for sure mourn the reggae icon and celebrate the contributions of the Nigerian born-reggae music maestro

Majek Fashek is survived by three children among whom is his son, Randy.

Also read: Majek-Fashek: As The Rain Beats The Rainmaker