Nigeria’s eccentric reggae music superstar, Majek Fashek died a few weeks ago in New York after months of illness.
Since his death, there has been a campaign to fund his return to his dear native land, Nigeria, for a legendary burial, befitting royalty, and appreciations of his creative works in our pop culture. Fans and members of his family are seeking funds to help fund a dignified burial in Nigeria, for the great music maker.
This is an emotional experience, considering how Majek lived the last few years of his life. I am not one to follow sentiments but the reality of our times. The world is no longer flat. We should stop lying to ourselves, but rather ask: Why should his body be flown from New York to Nigeria for burial?
Majek stands a better chance of resting in peace inside a well-manicured tendered and beautifully landscaped cemetery in far away New York than to be brought home, abandoned in his village or city cemetery: within a few years of his burial the grave shall collapse, becomes just a mere shallow and shadow of “once upon a superstar”, festered with weeds, unkempt and unmarked.
Randy and his siblings do not live in Nigeria. They may never return home to live. Rita has moved on with her life and a new health challenge in New York. Who will tend to the grave if Majek is buried in his village?. Did Majek had a home to be buried, a plot of land, or do we send emissaries to the political leaders of his state to provide him with land for his burial?
After the emotions and sentiments, who among you would remember Majek beyond once- in – a while noonday musings listening to his music? How many of you would visit his graveyard, even once in your lifetime, in Nigeria to help maintain the spot where a superstar is buried? We will move on quickly, engage in the rat race. We will abandon Majek in his death and grave.
Let his children bury him where they call home: NEW YORK CITY. They can always visit his grave during his death anniversary, his birthday, their birthday, however, they wished to visit and "talk to dad', take his grandchildren to visit him, place flowers on his grave to show him, love, always and during special happenings that life blessed the family with. He will live in them and among them. They will not travel seven thousand Miles to “visit dad” on any given Sunday.
No parent should be buried seven thousand miles away from their child. If Majek is returned home to be buried, it may be the first and last time the children would visit his grave in Nigeria for a long time. Life continues to shift and we must adapt to the realities of our times.
Majek stands a better chance of resting in peace inside a well-manicured tendered and landscaped beautiful cemetery in far away New York than to be brought home, abandoned in his village or city cemetery: within a few years of his burial the grave shall collapse, becomes just a mere shallow and shadow of “once upon a superstar”, festered in weeds, unkempt and unmarked. Stay With Me.
-By Azuka Jebose
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