Nigerian Reggae music icon, Oritz Wiliki has spoken up about the travails of another music legend, Majek Fashek.
In this interview with Daily Sun, Oritz opines that the troubles being faced by Majek can not be sorely attributed to his use of drugs but believes part of it is spiritual.
Hear him:
Let’s talk about the effort to save Majek Fashek. Why did you decide to get involved?
It is sad that Majek Fashek found himself in that kind of situation. That is why we are not throwing him away. I have promised myself that I will not discuss most of the things we are doing on the pages of newspapers. We have done a lot before now but we just need to take it to the next level. If you have been monitoring it on facebook, there is a page created christened “Majek Fashek family”. It was put together by Monica, the lady in the United States who was one of his backup singers. Every issue about saving Majek Fashek is discussed on that platform. A website has also been opened where donation can be made towards helping him. What we intend to do is to raise enough money and put him in rehab.
There is this talk that he is into drugs and an alcoholic. What really is Majek Fashek’s problem?
His problem is beyond drugs; it is spiritual. Sometimes, if you have a one-on-one conversation with him, he would discuss with you as if nothing was wrong with him. I also think part of the problems is that he is not engaged. You know, an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. If we put him in rehab and he finds something doing after he is okay, Majek will be well 100 per cent I can assure you. Even in his present condition, he still maintains the same aura on stage that he had when he was the rave. I believe that if he is busy going on music tours, there will be no problem.
The first time you saw him, did you know he would be this famous some day?
I knew he was talented but I didn’t know it was going to be this big. The first demo was done by three of us, James Etinon of Joseph Osayomore Band, Amos McGregor and I. I remember we used two box guitars and a Hausa musical instrument for the demo and the song came out beautiful. If we could enjoy the song the way we did it at that time, that tells you Majek was bound to make it. By the time I joined Tabansi Records as A& R Manager, I told him to come over to Tabansi so that his recording could be done. Part of my job as A & R Manager then was to scout for artistes. He came to Tabansi Records in Lagos but I was in our office in Onitsha then. He later came to Onitsha and we did his recording and the rest is history.
