Lucky Dube was one of South Africa’s best selling artists and one of its most outspoken performers..Although he initially sang in the traditional Zulu mbaganga style, his move to reggae in 1984 was sparked by his quest to express his anger against the oppression of apartheid. While The Village Voice observed, “The spirit of Lucky Dube’s music and dance epitomizes the spirit of Black liberation”, “Niceup Magazine” said, “(Dube’s) lyrics have brought an original voice to reggae by chronicling the political and spiritual struggles of his South African breathren”. Dube’s musical talents were obvious from an early age. By the age of nine, he was conducting his school choir. After singing with school rock and roll bands, he joined his cousin, Richard Siluma’s Mbaganga band, The Love Brothers. Together with the group, he recorded his first single in 1979. Inspired by the controversal lyrics of Peter Tosh, Dube moved to reggae in 1984. His earliest attempts with the newly-adopted style were met by strong opposition by the then-all-white South African government and his first reggae album, “Rasta Never Die” was banned from radio airplay. Without notifying his record label, Dube re-entered the recording studio and cut a second reggae album, “Think About The Children”. The album became a major hit and achieved gold record status. Dube’s third reggae album, “Slave”, sold more than five hundred thousand copies.
He went on to perform all over Africa where he was more popular than he was at home and overseas.
The star also shared the stage with international musicians such as Peter Gabriel, Seal and Ziggy Marley.
He was shot dead in a hijacking on Thursday 18 October 2007 in Rosettenville, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Captain Cheryl Engelbrecht, who reported on the incident, told the news site that the incident took place around 8.20 p.m. when Dube was driving a blue Polo in the Johannesburg suburb.
She said Dube was dropping off his son in the area when he was attacked.
“His son was already out of the car. When he saw what was happening, he ran to ask for help.”
His final moments
Dying superstar Lucky Dube made a desperate attempt to escape from hijackers who had shot him in front of his children last night.
Seconds after he had dropped his 16-year-old son and 15-year-old daughter at the gate of his brother’s house in Rosettenville south of Johannesburg, three hijackers shot the 43-year-old singer at close range.
Dube drove off in his Chrysler, but could not control the car, and hit a parked Corsa and then mounted a pavement and crashed into a tree. By the time a witness reached him he was dead.
Dube was one of South Africa’s best-known singers with millions of reggae fans here and abroad.
Scores of tributes to the multi-award winning artist, including one from President Thabo Mbeki, poured in.
Police said the teenagers, who were not hurt, had been too traumatised to provide them with any information.
Dube had just dropped them at the house at 8.20pm when the hijackers pounced.
An eyewitness, who was in the neighbourhood with his cousin to view a house, said he had heard gunshots and then saw a blue VW Polo speeding down the road.
“The driver and the passenger doors were open. The car sped down Valda Road and it slowed down a bit and another man jumped into the car and it turned right into Lang road.
“We ran back into the house, switched off the lights because they were looking at us, we dived for cover as the gunshots continued.”
The shaken man said that while they were hiding they heard another big bang. “We realised that my cousin’s car (the Corsa) had been bumped.
“We could not see the car that had bumped it. Then we saw this flashy car (Dube’s). It was still rolling. We ran behind it but we were very scared. We did not know if the hijackers were still lurking somewhere.
“It came to a halt after it hit the tree. I went and peered through the window. The man was in a sitting position, with his heard slumped. He was not moving,” the witness said.
“We phoned the police and told them about the incident. Because it was too dark we could not see who it was. We only learnt when the paramedics arrived at the scene that he was dead.”
This morning blood stains and shattered glass on the pavement bore testimony to the gruesome murder, as friends and relatives trickled into Dube’s brother’s house.
Lucky Dube 1964-2007
Rest in Peace
