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Majek Fashek brings reggae vision to Boulder
By Glenn BurnSilver
"I'm major major, you know," exclaimed reggae artist Majek Fashek of
his
star status in his native Nigeria. There, he's considered a prophet
and
holy man, able to bring rain during a drought. But despite releasing
several albums in the United States, he remains a virtual unknown to
American audiences.
Fashek hopes to change all that with his new album, Rainmaker, and a
tour
to follow. Fashek brings his African reggae show to the Boulder Theater
this Wednesday, Nov. 12.
Fashek's initial leap to stardom came in 1987, as he performed in his
hometown of Lagos, Nigeria, during one of the worst droughts in recent
times. He began to sing that the "sky looks misty and cloudy, it looks
like rain's gonna fall today." Rain soon came, and Fashek was instantly
labeled a prophet.
"There was a drought for about a year in Nigeria, and there was no rain,"
he said from New York, where he's preparing for his tour. "When my
record
came out, there was a song 'Send Down The Rain.' Then there was rain
in
Nigeria. The people call me rainmaker." Does Fashek believe this himself?
"They call me Rainmaker. The people give me this name, so what do you
expect? In effect, I am (a prophet)."
Fashek's new album is a mixture of African rhythms, reggae stylings
and
rock attitude. Long a fan of American rock-n-roll, Fashek has sought
to
instill some of its energy into his music. Rainmaker comes complete
with
cover versions of such classics as "Hey Joe" and "Hotel California."
"I have a passion for that music. I have a passion for rock-n-roll.
I
believe in that sound," he explained. "I believe in the way of life
and
the way of life of the music - of the sound. It is like reggae, but
on a
different level."
However, initially there was a lack of American music available in Lagos.
"I tried to introduce rock-n-roll to Nigeria," he said. "But the problem
was (the people) don't play much rock-n-roll." This naturally led to
the
integration of more local rhythms, such as Juju and Kpangolo.
Ultimately, an association with exiled countryman Fela Anikulapo Kuti
developed. Kuti's mixture of African, jazz and other musical styles
had a
direct effect on Fashek. "We were very close," Fashek said of the late
saxophonist and bandleader. "He was a big influence. I grew a lot from
him." And thus, like Kuti, Fashek combined many different styles of
music
into his own distinct blend.
Trouble was, the rock influence was difficult for his band of African
musicians to fully comprehend. On Rainmaker, Fashek played numerous
instruments to get the sound perfect. He found this actually worked
to his
advantage.
"I just do my own style, for now. I try to give the music direction,
give
it my own vision and direction on which way to go," he said of his
recording process. "I don't find it too hard (to explain my vision),
but
my musicians, most of them are African, so they don't understand
rock-n-roll very well. I just give it the vision I want."
For Majek Fashek, whose name means "Power of miracles, the high priest
does not lie" in his native tongue, Rainmaker is full of vision befitting
such a name. Fashek hopes this album will relate his message and vision
to
the people. The album reaches out and embraces the social and political
climate of Nigeria, all the while stimulating the soul with a powerful
mix
of musical styles.
"When the styles are blended together, music can free the world," he
said.
"You can check it out in my music. You can feel it in my music. (My
message) is consciousness. To be aware of one's self. The realization
of
one's self. That's the message; that's it!"
This will be Fashek's second trip to Colorado; the first was at Reggae
on
the Rocks two years ago.
"You know, when I played 'Send Down The Rain' - there was rain," he
said
with a laugh, remembering the show. "That is a magical rock. (Colorado)
is
a magical place."
Original Year 1997
Producer Majek Fashek
Engineer George Evangelu
Studio/Live Studio
Mono/Stereo Stereo
Label Lightyear
Catalog# 54235
UPC 08536542352
Album Notes:
Personnel: Majek Fashek (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, bass,
piano,
organ, keyboards, synthesizer, percussion, programming); Jet Nylander
(guitar); Paul Shapiro (saxophone); Ari Lehman (piano, organ); Olu
Pecku
(piano, keyboards); Alex Valenti (bass); Oscar Debe (drums, percussion,
programming); Sunday Rotimi, Wonderman (talking drum); Sunny, Michelle,
Tonya (background vocals).
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Track Listing
= Click For Sound Sample (Help)
Track Song Title
1 Kpangolo
2 Promised Land
3 Sailing
4 Hotel California
5 African Unity
6 L.A.
7 Prostitute Destitute
8 I Wanna Know
9 Hey Joe
