Majek Fashek: How Reggae legend spent last decade of his life battling alcoholism, drug addiction

 

Reggae music legend, Majekodunmi Fasheke, popularly known as Majek Fashek who passed on Monday night dominated Nigerian and African music scene for over two decades before his slide to infamy in the last decade of his life.

In Nigeria, he was one of the early proponents of reggae music which was first developed in Jamaica before it spread throughout Africa. Reggae is generally believed to be a revolutionary song used to express pain, struggle, address societal ills and call political leaders to order. This is evident in many of Bob Marley’s songs like ‘Buffalo Soldiers’ and ‘Africa Unite’ which are deeply political, revolutionary and radical.

From the beginning of his career as a member of Benin-based reggae group that included Ras Kimono and Amos McRoy Gregg in the 1980s, Majek Fashek rose to become the best Reggae artiste to come out of Nigeria and one of the greatest from Africa after going solo in 1988 to release ‘Prisoner of Conscience’ his debut album which sold more than 200,000 copies in Nigeria alone. The album had the hit track ‘Send down the Rain’ which earned him the sobriquet – the ‘Rainmaker’.

How he became the Rainmaker and Prophet:

Nigeria was also affected by the Sahel Drought of the 1970s which peaked in the 1980s and led to a 30 percent decrease in rainfall. The drought led to the deaths of about 100,000 people in the Sahel region from 1980 to 1988. In 1988, after Majek’s ‘Send Down The Rain’ from his debut album, it rained and that marked the end of the drought. The song marked a significant moment for Nigeria and from that moment, Majek became the favourite of most Nigerians for that sentimental reason and they named him the ‘Rainmaker’

‘Send Down The Rain’ won him six PMAN Music Awards in 1989, they include ‘Song of the Year’, ‘Album of the Year’, and ‘Reggae Artist of the Year’ among others. From 1988 when he released his debut album “Prisoner of Conscience’ to the peak of his career in the late 1990s, Majek proved to the world that his knack for making huge hits was not in doubt. To deliver other huge albums like ‘Little Patience’, ‘I & I Experience’, ‘Spirit of Love’, ‘Rainmaker’, he meshed roots, rock, reggae and Afro into a unique signature sound he called ‘Kpangolo’ which he described as “the sound of many cultures coming together.” He also worked with American singers Tracy Chapman, Snoop Dogg, Beyonce and late Michael Jackson; Jamaican singer Jimmy Cliff, and did a remix of “No More Sorrow’ with 2Baba.

Another of his talents was playing musical instruments, he was very good at playing trumpet and guitar which he learnt at his local Aladura church in Benin, Edo state, his mother’s hometown which he adopted as his root after the death of his father who is believed to hail from Osun State.

Majek’s longtime friend and music promoter, Azuka Jebose in an interview with Guardian in 2009 described him as a very creative musician who can write and produce a hit anywhere.

“Majek is a very creative man who can sit down here, write a song and create the beat as well. That is why people such as Charles Novia and I keep trying to help him, because we know he is a wonderful person,” Azuka said.

Before his inglorious latter days marred by controversies, bankruptcy, drug addiction and alcoholism, Majek Fashek broke several barriers, won laurels in the music industry beyond Africa. From the 1980s to the early 2000s, he was a colossus in the Nigerian music scene, but fell from that exalted height after losing himself to drug addiction and alcoholism.

Azuka Jebose wrote in 2015: “Majek stopped being a musician years ago. He traded music for addiction. I wait for his obituary, some day”. The obituary finally came on June 2, 2020, five years after.

 

Controversies:

In a controversial interview with ThisDay in 2016, he accused his former partners Charles Novia and Azuka Jebose of conniving to cheat him and profit off his sweat. “I want Nigerians to please help me stop Charles Novia and Azuka Jebose from defrauding me. A lot has been happening, which I am giving a little tip. I have never had a contract with Charles Novia,” Majek said.

It didn’t end there, he also accused Timi Dakolo of using his song ‘Send Down The Rain’ without his permission.

“I also need Timi Dakolo to present the management he paid to and how much by going to use my song and earning money from iTunes and making money from Send down the rain,” he said.

Reggae musician, Victor Essiet popularly known as ‘Mandator’ was also dragged into the controversy, Majek accused him of using his name and picture for his Africa meets Reggae show in November 2016, without consulting his manager Omenka Uzoma.

 

Rehabilitation:

From 2015 till his death on June 1, 2020, he was in and out of hospitals and rehabilitation centre. Drug addiction and alcoholism took the better part of the legend, tore him apart and made him a caricature of his old self. The former world famous, who dominated the scene and also performed on the David Letterman Show in 1992 (the biggest show on American TV station CBS at that time), became a subject of pity.

After his reported deportation from the United States, which he denied in 2015, he was always seen roaming the streets of Lagos looking haggard and unkempt before his former backup singer Monica Omorodion Swaida launched a GoFundMe campaign in 2015 to take him off the street and put him in a rehabilitation centre.

“He was one of the greatest singer and guitarist in Nigeria. He came to America and even went as far as singing in David Letterman’s show. Majek put Nigeria on the map when it comes to music,” Monica wrote on the GoFundMe page.

“Today, Majek is seen in the streets of Lagos looking for petty change to buy food and drinks. Majek looks sickly and fray. He is looking haggard! How can a national hero be left on the street like that?”

She added that “We must do something to take care of this man. No matter the problems majek has, whether drug related, spiritual or mental related problems, it doesn’t matter. Everyone can be saved! Let’s come together and help him”.

After interventions from Nigerians like Warri-based businessman, Ayiri Emami, Majek was taken to a rehab centre in Abuja in August 2015 by Monica, his ex-wife Rita Majek, and first son, Randy Majek, who all came to Nigeria from the United States. After his redemption, he went back to his dirty past and continued with his addiction. Ayiri who funded his rehabilitation announced that he had severed ties with Majek following reports that he had gone back to drugs.

In an interview with The Punch in May 2016, Ayiri said “against my wish and that of the doctors, he left the rehab home, went back to Lagos and started doing music. As I speak he is no longer under my care”.

In April 2018, Majek reportedly staggered to the stage oozing alcohol at the Eko Le Meridien Hotel in Lagos where he was billed to perform alongside few Nigerian musicians.

His old friend Azuka in an article titled ‘Why the intervention failed for Majek Fashek’, wrote in May 2016, “Charles Novia and I knew it won’t work. Charles didn’t want to be seen as anti-Majek’s wellness. I chose to speak. I was vocal. I told the handlers their approach was wrong and would not work for an addict. They seemed to be forcing Majek into treatment. They want an addict to follow their steps to recovery”.

Azuka also narrated how he was thrown out of a flight at Memphis airport in the U.S on December 22, 2006 while heading to Nigeria for a show with Majek because of his addiction.

“Majek got drunk in transit and was misbehaving, trashing everyone and oozing alcohol. Two passengers that sat next to him were very uncomfortable with his unruly behavior and intoxication. They requested to be removed from the seat next to him, Azuka wrote.

“The pilots refused to fly the plane unless Majek was removed from the flight. I pleaded with flight attendants that I would control him during the flight. The pilots said I could fly without Majek. I said no. I was flying because of him.”

His estranged wife, Rita, also shared her ordeal, she said in 2015, “I don’t know what went wrong with Majek. I may never know. He is deep into substance abuse. I discovered his dependency on drugs and alcohol after the birth of our second son, Seun: he would leave the house and returned stoned and wasted, ultra-happy and erratic…”

Majek denied all the reports of drug addiction and alcoholism in 2019. “As you can see I am very okay and sound. I know the alcoholism reports are the works of my detractors,” Majek told a reporter. “As we all know, I am the only surviving Nigerian music legend. I am the last man standing. How can they say they I am in rehab when I just returned from a music tour in Cape Town and the United States?”

 

His Last Days:

After leaving rehab, Majek was said to be battling different ailments that made him visit hospitals in Nigeria and overseas frequently. Azuka had said in 2016 that Doctors in the U.S diagnosed him with liver disease due to years of alcoholism abuse and warned if he didn’t stop drinking he might lose his life soon.

It was not clear if the liver disease was his reason for being in and out of hospital during his last five years. Again, in September 2019, his manager Uzoma Omenka, called for financial support after announcing that Majek had been hospitalised at Queen’s Hospital, London, billionaire Femi Otedola took up his medical expenses. Majek was discharged from the hospital in January 2020 before his reported recent admission to a hospital in New York where he eventually gave up the ghost.

Although details of his death are not known yet, Majek was believed to be in the care of his first son Randy who is based in the New York where he died. He was married to only one wife, his childhood love Rita and they had three children.

He was a good man:

Beyond the controversial lifestyle that overshadowed his greatness, Majek Fashek was described as a very kind and passionate man by his friends.

Rita said “Majek was the best husband any woman could ever dream of. He was the best husband to me. He was (a) charming, affectionate man that blessed me with great attention then. But his alcoholism and drugs addiction denied us his love, care and humanity. I am tired!”

“What people don’t know about Majek is that he’s a very passionate man; he’s a very wonderful family man, who doesn’t joke with his children and wife; he’s married to one wife. His family comes first in everything he does,” Azuka said.

“Majek is so kind that if he has $300 now and you tell him you need $299, he will give you the money and he will say, ‘this man needs the money, Jebose, let him go, Jah will provide.’ That’s why most of us tag along with him, because we see the other side of him.”