Entertainment
Majek Fashek (1963-2020): The Triumphs, the Storm, the Travails
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By Eric Elezuo
Could you believe that even age mates of late Majek Fashek believed he was 71 years, and was born in 1949. They claimed that was what the official record said…such naivety. One day, someone would tell them something different from their names, and they will believe because one supposedly ‘impeccable’ source has erroneously written it. I still wonder what we do with our brains, even with claims that we have been to school. Well, that is a story for another day!
He was only 25 years in 1988 when his glory filled not only the airwaves but the nook and crannies of the Nigerian music and entertainment circle. It didn’t stop there, Majekodunmi Fasheke, known as Majek Fashek for short, took his epic arrival into stardom more than a niche further, covering the world with his own form of ‘Righteousness’. He dished out hits after hits, making him the epicentre of Reggae music in Nigeria, competing favourably with the likes of Alpha Blonde and Lucky Dube in the Africa continent, and world icons like Robert Nester Marley, Peter Tosh, Gregory Isaac and many more. New York Daily News hailed him as the spiritual heir to Bob Marley.
Majek Fashek occupied the late 80s and early 90s like a colossus, as his hit album, Prisoner of Conscience with the track ‘Send Down the Rain’, became a national anthem of some sort. Every child could sing the song; it was on the lips of every adult. And of course, it was interwoven with childlike chorus which heralds the arrival of mothers after a long absence. It was made for all ages; a product of long term planing. More so, its prophetic orientation and spiritual undertone made it a toast for all season.
In a 2013, when Fashek’s former bandmate and cousin, Amos McRoy, granted an interview with now defunct Entertainment Express Newspaper, he claimed that the singer told him the song ‘Send Down The Rain’ had a spiritual force behind it.
“That was one of the things he told me in Cote d’Ivoire. Based on what he told me, I think he ‘crossed the line’ before he released the album,” McRoy said in that interview.
“In Cote d’Ivoire, I asked him certain questions. His reply was: ‘Amos, are you that naive? I released Send Down The Rain, everywhere that song was played, rain must fall. Even in summer while we were on US tour, I played Send Down The Rain and rain fell. I released Free Mandela and that month Mandela was released. I did fire (Majek Beware) the week that record was released was the week the Rodney King incident happened. That song, Fire o! Fire o! was played for almost two months in all the TV and radio stations in Los Angeles during that Rodney King episode. So, are you that naive? Don’t you reason?
He practically started a musical revolution in 1988, and by 1989, he carted away six awards at the PMAN Awards including two of the most important nominations; the prestigious Album of the Year and Song of the Year categories. His Send Down the Rain competed in the category of millennial hits such as Nico Mbago’s Sweet Mother and Onyeka Onwenu’s One Love in not only national, but international appeals.
One thing is obvious, no Nigerian song has been so mythologized as ‘Send Down the Rain’ and by extension, Holy Spirit. He composed every song personally, and gave Bob Marley’s ‘Redemption Song’ a touch of excellence when he remixed it. No one can deny that Fashek was a legend. A typical example of one who came during his time, saw and conquered. Many believed he had room for more conquest if not for the self-destructive mode he put himself. Reports had it that he dabbled into spiritism, not drug use, and ruined a God-given career.
This as much was confirmed by McRoy thus:
“Truth is Majek’s problem is spiritual. Majek strayed into spiritism.
“Majek’s problem is not drug-related. He took to alcoholism to get over his real problem. Failing to keep the rules of whatever he delved into, he started to hallucinate. He started seeing things. For instance, if he was in a room, he would tell you ‘open the door, open the window’. If you tell him the air condition is on, he would say “Can’t you see them spirits; you want to trap the spirits. Men, let the spirits move around.”
In the peak of his career in 1991, Fashek visited New York for the first time, and that was when he released the track ‘Mashek Fashek Inna New York’. The excited attached to the song would reveal his clear human nature, as he x-rayed life in the city that never sleeps in comparison to what is obtainable in other cities of the world. He was practically surprised to see that there were homeless people, beggars and destitute in New York.
Country music icon, Dolly Parton, has died at the age of 80, according to multiple reports, including The Independent, The Guardian and Sky News.
Parton’s death was reportedly announced by her nephew, Bryan Seaver, on Instagram on Tuesday.
“I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it until now.
“It is an honour, an honour that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness,” Seaver said.
Parton, who rose from humble beginnings in Tennessee to become one of country music’s most celebrated singer-songwriters, had a career spanning more than six decades.
She sold more than 100 million records globally and became known as the “Queen of Country”, with hits including “Jolene”, “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You”.
Parton wrote more than 3,000 songs and won 11 Grammy Awards. She was also a successful actor, appearing in films including 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Joyful Noise.
Born on January 19, 1946, in a two-room log cabin on the banks of the Little Pigeon River in Tennessee, Parton was the fourth of 12 children.
Her father was an illiterate sharecropper who later worked his way up to owning a small tobacco farm. Parton described her family as “dirt poor” but credited her mother with passing on her love and knowledge of traditional folk ballads and her father for his work ethic.
Parton began performing as a child. By the age of 13, she had appeared on local radio and television in East Tennessee, performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and recorded her first single, “Puppy Love”.
After graduating from high school in 1964, she moved to Nashville the following day and began establishing herself as a songwriter.
She released her debut album, Hello, I’m Dolly, in 1967, the same year she joined the weekly television programme The Porter Wagoner Show. Wagoner, an established country star, mentored Parton, and the pair released a series of successful albums as a duo.
In 1973, Parton decided to concentrate on her solo career and wrote “I Will Always Love You” about their professional separation. The song became a hit for Parton and was later famously recorded by Whitney Houston for the 1992 film The Bodyguard.
Parton also wrote “Jolene”, one of her signature songs, around the same period. Both songs were included on her 1974 album Jolene, which helped introduce her to a wider audience beyond country music.
Her 1977 album, Here You Come Again, became her first to sell a million copies and earned her first Grammy Award after almost a decade of nominations.
In 1980, Parton made her acting debut alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in the workplace comedy 9 to 5. She also wrote and performed the film’s theme song, which became a number one hit and earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song.
The film’s success helped launch Parton’s acting career, with roles in films including The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), Steel Magnolias (1989) and Joyful Noise (2012).
Parton also built a business empire that included television specials, food products and Dollywood, the Tennessee theme park she acquired an interest in and renamed in 1986.
Beyond music and acting, she was known for her philanthropy, particularly through the Dollywood Foundation’s Imagination Library, which promotes childhood literacy.
She also supported medical research, disaster relief and other charitable causes, including donating $1 million towards COVID-19 vaccine research.
In 2022, she was awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy.
“I just give from my heart. I never know what I’m going to do or why I’m gonna do it. I just see a need and if I can fill it, then I will,” she said at the time.
Parton’s health concerns became public in September 2025 when she postponed her Las Vegas residency. In recent weeks, she had also withdrawn from public appearances amid ongoing health issues.
Parton’s death comes months after the death of her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, who died in March 2025 at the age of 82.
The couple married in 1966.
Big Brother Naija Season 11 housemate, Chinaecherem Maduagwu, popularly known as Neche, has explained why she voluntarily exited the reality television show, saying she chose to prioritise what matters most to her outside the competition.
Neche announced her exit from the Big Brother house on Sunday, shortly after the live eviction show.
In an official statement shared on her official X account on Tuesday, her team said her departure was not the outcome they had expected when she entered the reality show.
“This was not the ending any of us imagined,” the statement began.
According to the statement, Neche entered the Big Brother Naija house determined to give her best and make the most of the experience.
It added that within three weeks, she became more than a housemate, connecting with viewers who supported and identified with her.
“Neche was a worthy competitor. She had the drive, the personality, the intelligence and the presence to go very far in this competition,” the team said.
The statement maintained that the support Neche received from viewers was earned through her personality and authenticity.
It, however, acknowledged that her decision to leave came at a difficult time, especially as some fans had hoped to see her remain in the competition until the finale.
“Some of you had already seen the winner in her. Some of you were ready to fight, vote, campaign and stand beside her all the way to the finale,” the statement said.
The team said fans wanted Neche to have more days in the house, more wins and more memorable moments, adding that her exit was painful for both the housemate and her supporters.
However, the statement explained that the decision was driven by the need to attend to matters outside the reality show.
“But sometimes, life asks us to make difficult decisions even when the timing is not perfect,” it said.
The team described Neche’s decision as an act of courage rather than weakness, urging fans to understand her choice from that perspective.
“The same strength that made Neche a standout in that house is the strength behind this decision. Life doesn’t pause for reality TV, and sometimes the bravest thing a person can do is choose what matters most, even when the world is watching,” the statement said.
The statement further said Neche had chosen herself outside the reality show, describing the decision as consistent with the qualities viewers had admired in her.
“Neche didn’t leave BBNaija, she simply chose herself outside of it,” the team said.
Despite her departure, the team assured fans that Neche’s journey was far from over, describing her exit as the beginning of a bigger chapter.
“This is not goodbye. This is the beginning of something bigger,” it said.
The team noted that although Neche would no longer compete for the season’s prize money, her future remained open to new opportunities.
It also urged her supporters, known as CHEYTARS, to remain supportive as she begins her next chapter.
“CHEYTARS, stay close. Stay loud. She’s going to need you more than ever,” the statement said.
The team added that Neche’s media rounds would commence soon, with the former housemate expected to speak directly about her experience on the show.
It thanked everyone who supported Neche and believed she could win the competition, while also appreciating Big Brother Naija for giving her the opportunity to participate in the reality show.
Neche’s voluntary exit means she will no longer compete for the ultimate prize in BBNaija Season 11, bringing her three-week stay in Biggie’s house to an early end.
Afrobeats star, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has said the attack that occurred outside the palace of the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji, on Wednesday had nothing to do with him or his uncle, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke.
Davido made the clarification in a post on his official X account on Wednesday, shortly after suspected hoodlums reportedly attacked the governor’s convoy following his visit to the monarch’s palace.
“It was a fight outside the palace that had nothing to do with us! The pple love excellency!” the singer wrote.
It was earlier reported that the attack reportedly triggered an exchange of gunfire between the suspected hoodlums and the governor’s security personnel, with the shooting lasting between 12 and 15 minutes.
An eyewitness said the assailants later fled the scene, while the incident caused panic among traders and residents around the palace.
Confirming the attack, the Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, said the governor’s security personnel repelled the assailants.
“They are hoodlums, and the governor’s security repelled them. They attacked the governor’s convoy at Ataoja’s palace. No casualty,” Alimi said.
The incident occurred on the same day Adeleke received his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission following his re-election as governor.
