Legendary Nigerian raggae singer Majek Fashek says he is back to the Nigerian music scene after long years of absence.
Majek Fashek
The “send down the rain” crooner was said to have battled with drug addiction after his sojourn to the United States, but Majek said his was never on drugs, saying his problems were spiritual.
He has now released a 10-track album, expected to hit the market anytime soon.
He said, “Let me put the record straight. I never used drugs. I was actually experiencing some spiritual s—t (attack) as at that time. My problem was spiritual and not drugs. I went through some spiritual problems and I paid the price for them, that was what happened to me, it wasn’t about drugs. It wasn’t every story that was published about me that was true. Some people are full of scandals, most people don’t want me to bounce back. Now, let me tell you this, I started the kind of music young artistes are doing now, it’s called “Pangolo”which I was doing when Fela was alive, he was my hero. Now, they are calling it Afrobeat but they are stealing my ideas, “Pangolo” is the sound they are playing not Afrobeat, it is all my idea, but they are all my children. I’m just like King David in the Bible. After fighting so many wars , he came back to claim his throne. I’ve come to claim my throne after getting the anointing of Queen Elizabeth because I went to Buckingham palace.
Speaking on the Nigerian music industry which has been taken over by young artistes , he said :
“They are trying, but it’s only Femi Kuti that is doing live music. I have toured with Jimmy Cliff, if you read your history book very well, you would know that he started reggae music before Bob Marley. He was a superstar before Bob Marley, am I right? So I just want these young boys to know that I created what they are doing right now. I’m one Nigerian musician whose music is being played on radio in the United States. You must play live but all these boys are miming their music, they are not playing live. Do you know what it means to be on a program called ‘Good Morning America’? Till today, I’m still paid royalty in America, but some people keep stealing my fortunes here, putting people’s music on ITunes and making money. There was a time I had a problem with the media because I thought the media was scandalizing me, but it was my enemies. They were after my progress, because witchcraft is practiced in Nigeria, that’s why we have pastors who conduct vigil (Laughs). They almost made me an enemy of the press and without the press the musician cannot fly, it was the Nigerian press that even named me ‘the rainmaker’, I didn’t name myself ‘the rainmaker’, how can I make rain? I’m a mortal; it is only the immortals that can make rain.
