We are living in a crazy world, We we can't know what tomorrow brings, People are dying lie fries everyday, You will only know about it, when a man in a long black coat knocks your door, Because you are his next victim,
This is an exerpt from Lucky Dube's song crazy world. The man in a long black coat, an artistic pictorial representation of death as captured in song, knocked the doors of the South African reggae star one afternoon of 18th October 2007 at Rossetenville a suburb of Johannesburg.
Without recognizing him, three robbers shot at his car, just after he had dropped his children at their uncle's place. Although a suspect turned witness later told the court that the robbers had mistaken him for a Nigerian and the attack may have been inspired by xenophobic motivations, it was widely believed that the attackers targeted to cherysler he was driving.
Dube who was shot twice and in the subsequent panic and pain attempted to drive fast to flee the attackers, only for his car to veer off the road and hit a tree, killing him on the spot.
Dube the South African reggae sensation was named Lucky by his mother at birth, having lost several other children to pregnancy related complications. His upbringing wasn't without any challenges, as his father died before his birth, forcing the mother to leave him with his grandmother, as she went to eke a living to provide for them.
The hardships if his childhood may have had a direct impact to his music as poverty is known to nurture talent. Young Lucky Dube dropped out of school to pursue a career in music, a path he began by joining his brother in a musical ensemble that specialized in playing mbaqanga, a genre of pop music associated with the Zulu culture.
In the mid 1980s, the rastafariansm bug bit Dube. In an era where racial description was the order of the day, with brutal imperialists like Peter Botha in power, a shift to reggae, a genre that he found apt in advancing the social injustices perpetuated by the anti apartheid regime.
His first reggae album 'war and crime' of 1985 wasn't much of a hit but the follow up album 'think about the children' became an instant hit, that caughtnthe attention of the authorities who felt ruffled, now that music was decrying their imperialism. Lucky sold substantial volumes and his popularity began to pick across the country. The song nonetheless still had the heavy drumming of the Zulu beat amd so wasn't 100% reggae.
His 'prisoner' album of 1989 was wildly popular across the country and even across the world, and so were 'captured live' and 'house of exile' which followed in short sucesion. Dube had now became a darling of the people and an anti apartheid activist across the country. In the continent a new reggae sensation had been born. His songs were wildly popular even deep in the Kenyan villages.
In the mid 1990s, Lucky won several awards, among them a recognition as the African musician who had sold most copies. He also toured many countries and held concerts across the world.
Five men were arrested and charged with his murder. One was made a state witness and one acquired. The remaining three were all sentenced to life imprisonment. The world of music lost one of it most dazzling stars with the shooting, that were condemned across the world.
Lucky Dube's legacy lives on with his on through the huge discography comprising not less than 200 songs, that he left behind. The world lost a music icon to a trigger happy criminals. Yesterday. Fans marked the 17th anniversary of his death yesterday.By Jarome Ogola
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