His music has been described as a mix of acid rock, reggae and Latin styles with a taste of Jimi Hendrix, and he has performed before sold-out crowds in his native Nigeria and toured with Tracy Chapman and Jimmy Cliff.
Majek Fashek, the versatile musician, will bring his show to the University this Friday, playing from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Main Quadrangle as part of SpringFest-an event sponsored by Few Quad, Special Events and Spectrum Organization.
Described as Nigeria's "crown prince of African reggae and world beat music," Fashek is renowned throughout West Africa as a master of his trade. At the 1989 Nigerian music awards, he was named the country's Best New Artist, Best Reggae Artist and Best Single; since then, he has consistently drawn concert crowds of 100,000 people in West Africa.
After arriving in the United States in 1988, Fashek released his first album, "Prisoner of Conscience," with Island Records. His second album, "Spirit of Love," was released by Interscope Records in 1991 and was co-produced with Little Steven, a former member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.
Switching from African to American concert crowds was a dramatic change for Fashek. Not only are American crowds smaller and the length of the shows shorter, Fashek said, but the temperament of the audience is different. Whereas African concerts more closely resemble dance parties, he said, the typical American audience is more attuned to watching the music. Still, Fashek's style manages to eclipse the differences.
"Fashek's music combines African rhythm with reggae music with American rock-and-roll guitar," said Peter Allan, Fashek's agent.
Perhaps the most notable concert that Fashek played while living in Nigeria was one in which he performed his song "Send Down the Rain" during a drought. Rain began to pour following the concert, giving Fashek's performance an "evangelical quality," Allan said-a label that has remained with the performer ever since.
Although they have not halted any natural disasters, Fashek's performances have captivated American audiences as well. He has played at several colleges around the country and, Fashek said in an interview, the crowds always appreciate the music. He has also played with some of America's finest musicians such as Chapman and Cliff, and has appeared at New York's Lincoln Center.
Allan said he cannot recall a show in which the crowd was unengaged, and he specifically recalled one instance when members of the crowd began slam-dancing-something that he has never seen at a reggae concert. "The sound is very catching and brings in a lot of diversity," he said. "People will definitely walk away pleased at having seen something new."
The immediate popularity of his music can be attributed to its distinctive quality. Fashek's guitar is itself an interest-grabber-a Stratocaster guitar like the one Jimi Hendrix played, which provides Fashek's playing with a uniquely distorted sound. "It's definitely a sound that people haven't heard before," Allan said.
Although Fashek's music continues in the tradition of predecessors like Hendrix, Bob Marley and others, his sound remains innovative. "Yes, I love the music of Bob Marley," he told Rolling Stone in 1992. "But I still sound like Majek. I am still always me. But me and Marley are from the same place in our hearts. We are both singers and we are both messengers."
Fashek's performances, especially those he has given in West Africa, often come complete with political overtones. His anti-apartheid song "Free Mandela," for instance, was played before a large audience just months before Mandela's release. Some of Fashek's more recent music has been directed toward Nigeria's oppressive dictatorship.
Currently residing in New York City, Fashek said that he enjoys living in the United States, and although he may return to live in Nigeria some day, he has no immediate plans to do so.
"The United States is a great nation and the music industry is very strong," Fashek said, adding that the industry not only attracted him to this country but also emerged as a significant hurdle.
Because the American music industry is so competitive, Allan said, successful marketing is an important component of any musician's success. And, he continued, since Fashek has not released an album in six years, his visibility has somewhat declined.
Once hailed by Rolling Stone as "the next Bob Marley," Fashek is attempting to bring his music back into the public eye. A new album, due to be released in July, has three record companies vying for the recording rights, Allan said.
"We're attempting to get the train back on track," he said. "The music is definitely there-we just need to get the message out."
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