Lucky Dube, pronounced “Doobay,” South African reggae singer, was born on 3 August, 1964 in Eastern Transvaal. He was named Lucky by his mother, Sarah, as she had previously suffered several miscarriages.
Lucky Dube worked as a gardener and as a security guard before he began to achieve his phenomenal success as a mbaqanga or Zulu pop and reggae singer. He started his first band, "The Skyway Band," while still at school.
With his wild Rastafarian hairstyle, Lucky had an arresting presence on stage and sang in three languages - Zulu, Afrikaans and English. He composed many of the soul-searching, politically arousing lyrics that inspired, and still inspire, people both on the continent of Africa and across the globe.
The Outrage at Rosettenville
Lucky Dube died suddenly and unexpectedly on 23rd October, 2007 at the hands of car-hijackers, who wanted to steal his Chrysler 300C. As he was dropping off two of his children at a relative's house in Rosettenville, Johannesburg, he was shot and fatally wounded, dying almost instantly.
It was a devastating blow for everyone who knew and loved Lucky Dube. He was universally acknowledged as a truly charming and delightful man, as well as a fine musician. Dube had just secured a deal with Warner Music International for his album, Respect.
According to BBC News, on 31st October, 2007, police in South Africa who had been hunting Lucky Dube's killers, said that they had arrested five suspects. Two unlicensed guns and four cars had been seized, including the VW Polo believed to be the one used in the crime.
Lucky Dube was only forty-three years old when he died. His death was ironic - that “… of a musician who sang about his country’s crime problems,” said BBC News.
On 31st March, 2009, aYahoo News report confirmed that five men had been arrested as suspects. Two were eventually released and the remaining three were found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Artist, Father, Husband and Friend
The press release on Lucky Dube's memorial site quotes his close friend, Ivor J. Haarburger, CEO of Gallo Music Group, (formerly Teal Records.) Mr. Haarburger says, “Lucky was not just an extraordinary artist, he was a personal friend. We go back over twenty years and had both a business and personal relationship. It’s so sad to lose such a great friend and so tragically, why?”
Lucky Dube left a wife, Zanele, and seven children, Bongi, Nonkululeko, Thokozani, Laura, Siyanda, Philani and baby Melokuhle.
The Songs that Made Lucky Dube an Icon
The first of the two great songs that made Dube a true icon is, "Woman," from the album Together as One. A few people have assumed that, in this song, Dube is saying that women should be submissive. On the contrary, the song is a comment, delivered in Dube’s ironic voice, on the stance of masculine dominance adopted by many of his countrymen, juxtaposed, as it is, with the female chorus, which is crying out for freedom and equality.
The beautiful song, "Prisoner," has evoked a number of responses, including this Youtube posting by "poteetang" which seems to sum up the very essence of this fine musician: "Lucky Dube’s music had a message. But most people don’t realise it. Africa is where civilisation began. That is home to all the human beings in the world.”
Both "Woman" and "Prisoner" can be found on Youtube.
Sources:
- Lucky Dube Memorial Webite.
- BBC News, 31 October, 2007.
- Yahoo News, 31 March, 2009 and 2 April, 2009.
- Youtube.com
Janet Cameron - MA. Cert.Ed. is a retired university lecturer and author of twelve books, women's short fiction and a magazine column.
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