Nigerian reggae music icon, Majek Fashek is dead. According to a statement by his manager Uzoma Omenka, Mr. Majekodunmi Fasheke, aka Majek Fashek died earlier today.
The manager said in a video message that “Yes, it is true that the legend has gone to meet with the Lord”
According to his Wikipedia page, Majek Fashek was until his death, a singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known in his home country for the 1988 album Prisoner of Conscience, which included the multiple award-winning single, “Send Down the Rain”. Also known as The Rainmaker, he has worked with various artists worldwide, including Tracy Chapman, Jimmy Cliff, Michael Jackson, Snoop Dogg, and Beyoncé.
was born in Benin City to an Edo mother and an Ijesha father, but identifies with his Benin roots. Various translations of his name Fasheke (Ifa-kii-she-eke) include “high priest who does not lie”, “powers of miracles” and “(system or medium of) divination does not lie”. After his parents separated Fashek remained in Benin City with his mother, and soon joined the choir in his local Aladura church and learned to play the trumpet and guitar whilst composing songs for the choir.
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.[22][23] Billionaire businessman and philanthropist Femi Otedola pledged to cover all the singer’s medical expenses.
Having paid his hospital bill, theafricancourier.de reported that Omenka lamented they were currently stranded in the hospital and in need of urgent financial support that would cater for their feeding, transportation and other expenses.
“We have been to Nigerian High Commission in the UK and they said they have no funds and it is not their duty, you can’t imagine,” said Omenka.
Omenka however didn’t disclose Majek’s nature of ailment, but said that over N10 million (€25,000) had been spent before the singer was flown abroad.
He further stated that, “Majek has granted me permission to plead with his fans to assist him financially.
In 2005, Majek went bankrupt having suffered drug addiction for a long period of time. But, after he admitted he needed help at the time, he was treated at a drug rehabilitation centre in Abuja.
