"If you like reggae, there is no better cd to listen to. His beats and melodies are so chill and you know that's what reggae is all about. every song on this is a fukengruven. My personal favorite is 'Send Down The Rain'. If you don't have it, get it. If you have it, enjoy it."
This Rocks!!
A. Richmond | New York City | 09/02/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This CD begins and ends with songs with outstanding lyrics and a powerhouse, driving beat. My favorite songs are "Send Down the Rain," "Police Brutality," and "Prisoner of Conscience." I can't listen to them and do something else at the same time. I just have to stop what I'm doing to get up and dance!Fashek is highly reminiscent of Bob Marley. If you love Bob Marley, you'll definitely love this CD."
Majek Fashek Prisoner Of Concience
prw1 | USA | 01/04/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Caught Majek in concert 2 times and was spellbound! I had this tape and to my dismay it was displaced. I played it over and over. One of the best of all time African Reggae. The music is intoxicating. Prisoner of Concience to me is a one of a kind. It makes you think of peace and love."
MAJEK'S GROUND-BREAKING DEBUT ALBUM
Oladele O. Olusanya | Pecos, TX | 08/06/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Majek Fashek, or Majekodunmi Fasheke to give him his full name, has become one of the greatest living reggae artists to be found anywhere in the world, including Jamaica the birth place of reggae. Now partly based in the United States, this Nigerian-born dread-locked musician has released several critically-acclaimed CDs representing the best of the genre. Successfully combing reggae rythmns and an Afrobeat horn section against a background of virtuoso head rock guitar riffs, this is one of the true great atists of our age.
This CD, "Prisoner of Conscience" is Majek's first solo album. Itis fair to say that it has become a hard-to-find reggae classic like 'Harder they come' by Jimmy Cliff and others. Every track is great, for such a young relatively unexposed musician at that time. The first track is the famous hit, `Send down the rain" which took Nigeria by storm when it was released in 1988. According to current myth and the popular belief of the day, there was a deadly drought sweeping northern Nigeria that year. After the release of the record, rains came down and the drought ended. As you can see for yourself by listening to any track on this CD, he is a great singer - but not just that, this is a multi-talented musician and visionary. His musical influences, and self proclaimed heroes, are Bob Marley, for his lyrics and spiritual leaning towards Rastafarianism, Fela Anikulakpo-Kuti for his horns and political activism for the black man's redemption, and the late great Jimi Hendrix for his guitar mastery.
Other great tracks on this CD include 'Police Brutality' and 'Prisoner of Conscience' reputedly written for Nelson Mandela then incarcerated on Robbens Island. It is a tribute to all freedom loving people everywhere who prefer conscience to political correctness or religious orthodoxy. In this respect. Majek follows a long line of visionary artists from Bob Dylan to Bob Marley, his great hero. In fact, many critics consider Majek's version of Marley's 'Redemption Song' on this CD to be superior to the original by the great master himself!
There may a dispute as to who is the greatest amongst Nigeria's current generation of musical talents. Some may say that Lagbaja, being the most popular on the Lagos music scene, deserves to be crowned king. However, while holding nothing against Lagbaja the masked one, without doubt an awe-inspiring Afro-beat arranger and saxophonist, I will say Majek at this point remains unrivalled in sheer skills, originality and message.
In summary, Majek Fashek's first album 'Prisoner of Conscience' is a must for everyone who wants good music, reggae in particular, with a dose of activism. The genre comes no better than this.
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1
