Pop Music : Nigerian Fashek Makes L.A. Debut With Fresh Fusion

In his Los Angeles debut, Majek Fashek provided an enticing glimpse Friday night at the Music Machine into what a younger generation of African musicians is up to. The 27-year-old Nigerian singer-guitarist’s two 45-minute sets unveiled a genuinely fresh fusion of Jamaican, African and Anglo rock elements that’s loaded with potential.

Fashek became a Nigerian star and the stuff of legend two years ago when a rainstorm ended a drought, reportedly while he was performing his hit “Send Down the Rain.” Even that news wasn’t preparation enough for the spectacle of his 12-piece band Friday, with a Jewish keyboardist introduced as Ira Irie, a midget percussionist, and a dress code ranging from Islamic robes to the leader’s camouflage cut-offs.

Reggae is a central but not dominant element in Fashek’s mix-and-match style. “Dub” instrumental sections became showcases for talking drums, the shifting arrangements lessened a reliance on hypnotic grooves, and pop song structures gave Fashek’s original material more hooks than most African music.