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Top 10 Interesting Facts about Lucky Dube

Lucky Dube was born Lucky Philip Dube on 3 August 1964. He was born in Ermelo, formely of teh Eastern Transvaal, noe Mpumalanga. He was a South African reggae musician and Rastafarian. Rastafarianism is a religion that developed in Jamaica in the 1930s.

There is no central authority in control of the movement and much diversity exists among practitioners. He was legendary in Reggae and mbaqanga and also in playing guitar, vocals, and keyboard. His labels were Rykosidic and Gallo Record Company. In the article are the top 10 interesting facts about Lucky Dube.

1. He was considered the Greatest Musician of all time

Most of his songs were political and were against the unfair apartheid policy. Of course, he is not the only musician who fought against apartheid through songs. Mama Africa Miriam Majeba also sang political songs. He contributed greatly to South African Music.

Lucky Dube recorded 22 albums in Zulu, English, and Afrikaans in 25 years. He was South Africa’s best-selling reggae artist to date. In discography, Lucky Dube is the best there was, the best there is and the best there will be in case no one breaks his record as a reggae artist in South Africa.

2. His name Lucky is metaphorical

Lucky Dube was born after his parents separated. His mother raised him alone along with his two siblings Thandi and Mandla. His name Lucky is metaphorical because his mother considered his birth fortunate after several failed pregnancies.

He spent much of his time together with his two siblings at their grandmother’s place. their Grandmother is called Sarah. He credited Sarah as his greatest love who influenced him as a successful musician.

3. Skyway Band was his first musical band

A photo of Roots Pop Reggae by Rae Nira – Wikimedia commons

As a Child, Lucky Dube worked as a gardener but the income he got was never enough for his family. So he began to attend school to try his luck if he could become to get a more earning career. In school, he joined a choir with some friends and it is when he formed his first band.

He then discovered the Rastafarian movement while in school. Dube joined his cousin’s band The Love Brothers which played Zulu pop music, mbaqanga. Since Lucky Dube was still in school, the band recorded music in Johannesburg during his holidays. The first album was named KLucky Dube and the Supersoul.

4. Lucky Dube used inspiration from famous artists

After releasing their first album, Lucky Dube immediately started learning English. It was during his fifth album, that Lucky Dube dropped the name, Supersoul as advised by his sound engineer Dave Segal. Lucky Dube noticed the positive energy of fans of his reggae music.

He drew inspiration from Jimmy Cliff, Peter Tosh, and socio-political reggae music from Jamaica to build his music relevant to South Africa’s audience. South Africa then was an institutionally racist society.

5. Lucky Dube’s road to reggae genres

A photo of the Official logo of Reggae by Reggaejahbless –

He decided to try the Reggae music genre in 1984. He released the min-album Rastas Never Die. The mini-album though sold dismally poor at around 4, 000 units which was a difference of 26, 000 units from what his mbaqanga records would sell. The mini-record was also banned in 1985 by the apartheid regime because of critical lyrics.

However, Lucky Dube stood his head up and never lost hope. He continued to perform the reggae tracks live. He wrote and produced a second reggae album “Thick About The Children” in 1985. The album reached platinum sales status. Lucky Dube then became an established popular reggae artist in South Africa.

6. Lucky Dube brought South African reggae to the world

As an established reggae musician, Lucky Dube started releasing commercially successful albums. He won the OKTV Awards of 1989 for the song Prisoner. In 1990 he won another OKTV award for Captured Live. In 1991 he won two OKTV awards for the House of Exile.

After winning all these records, Lucky Dube became recognized worldwide. After drawing attention from all parts of the world, Lucky Dupe earned a worldwide recording contract with Motown, an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group.

In 1996, Lucky Dube released a compilation album called Serious Reggae. The compilation led to him being named the “Best Selling African Recording Artist” at the World Music Awards. He was also the International Artist of the Year at the Ghana Music Awards.

7. He was a remarkable Dub Artist

A photo of Reggae Bass Line by Serolillo –

Lucky Dube is considered to be especially remarkable as a Dub Artist due to his lack of a diasporic cultural base. To be exclusive, the nature of his Reggae and Dub was a platform for expression of displacement from the homeland.

Lucky Dube took Dub and used it as a platform to promote racial equality within Africa during the Apartheid. He used Dub to frame his arguments about colonialism and the African Slave trade. Also, he used Dub to express his feelings that Africa should be reclaimed by the black race.

8. Lucky Dube died on 8 October 2007

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Lucky Dube was killed by armed robbers who took him as a Nigerian. It was in Roseville where the robbers killed him. Lucky Dube had dropped two of his seven kids at their uncle’s place.

That day, Lucky Dube was driving his Chrysler 300C.According to police reports, the carjackers were after the posh car, manufactured in North America, but did not have an idea of the owner.

Five men were arrested in connection with the murder. Three were found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.

9. Lucky Dube was married

Lucky Dube was initially married to Thobekile Ngcobo. Lucky Dube later got married to Zanele Mdluli. Lucky Dupe had seven kids though it is not known the number of kids each of his wives bore him. He was 43 years then.

10. Lucky Dube left a legacy

Lucky Dube’s music is widely remembered as the most influential type of music. On 21 October 2008, Rykodisc released a compilation album entitled Retrospective. The album featured many of Dube’s most influential songs as well as previously unreleased music in the United States.

In Australia, Lucky Dube’s music has found resonance in remote Australian Aboriginal communities. He is called “Bigger than the Beatles”

Lucky Dube was the Best International musician of all time. His music brought about a praxis of cross-culturally and visionary possibility. He ultimately showed how Africans have to find their way into the conversations of the Diaspora by mimicking their assertions of African authenticity.