Hottestgistnaija.com
May 1985: I was 15, and used to hang out with the Benson sisters (Yinka, Bodunrin & Jumoke) with whom I shared a deep love for music. Their older brother Yemi was also musically inclined, as he sometimes played in a reggae group called Jahstix, which also rehearsed regularly at their late father’s Hotel Bobby.
As an upcoming bassist, I used to keep my eye on the young man on the bass whilst they rehearsed. Whilst they rehearsed, I never heard him sing – he just played. Vocals were usually split between Black Rice(drummer) & Yemi Benson(rhythm guitarist). Even off the stage, he was quiet and reserved. And good-looking. Aged 22 or thereabouts, tall and very fair with flawless skin, dreadlocks short and neat. Everyone called him Majek. (Used to wonder what-in-the-world kind of name was Majek!😂) But whenever he played, I’d watch in admiration, study his technique on the bass and hoped I’d one day be able to play like him. One day, I asked him why they called him Majek. He said it was his real name, short for Majekodunmi. Bini mom, Yoruba dad. A nice guy, but of very few words.
Went off to Uni a couple of years later and.. BOOM! Guy don blow – his career ignited by Tabansi Records. (Wikipedia left that bit out🤨) And the biggest shock of all..?? He could sing!😳 That quiet bassist from Jastix wey no dey sing, could actually sainngg!!!😳😳😳 They were even comparing him with Bob Marley! That reserved guy wey go just play him bass, comot for stage, was now not only playing rock guitar solos from the back of his head, he was doing same whilst pulling on them strings with his teeth!
And during every outdoor concert whenever he sang his hit song, Send Down The Rain, the heavens obliged him. Everytime. It was always the final number in his repertoire, so once he’d begun, it would be a definite wrap for the event, as the torrential rains would disperse the crowd, and have the organizers scurrying to pack up the equipment before any damage could be done. I had heard and read about this occurrence loads of times, but never believed it … until I got drenched at a TBS Concert too! He’d barely sung the first 3 lines when the heavens opened up! It was simply magical.
A very gifted singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, this is how I choose to always remember the artiste, MAJEK FASHEK (1963-2020) #RIP
