31 October 2007
editorial
Lagos — Before he was murdered during an attempted car hijacking in Johannesburg on October 18, Lucky Philip Dube, South Africa's world acclaimed reggae artiste, had put an indelible stamp on not only the minds of millions of music lovers across the globe but also on the psyche of those who cherish the virtues of equality, justice and the communality of the human race.
That he achieved the feat with a humble background, an austere education and a daunting socio-political milleau further accentuated his worth that in turn resulted in his preeminence in his chosen career.
The late Lucky Dube was truly remarkable. Conceived and delivered after several failed pregnancies, he later contended with domestic challenges that had sought to abort his then latent musical talent. But Dube soon soared above them and, while working to supplement the family income, he discovered the path that would shoot him onto music's centre-stage. At 18 years, he became an "mbaqanga" singer and remained devoted to the traditional Zulu music until he came in contact with reggae - banned at the time by the apartheid regime in South Africa .
His shift to reggae was both deliberate and philosophical. His words: "After listening to Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff and Peter Tosh, the message was loud and clear and through the music, I could talk to people all over the world. That's why I changed from mbaqanga music, which I only spoke to the Zulu-speaking people in South Africa I don't know politics. All I know is the truth and this is what I write about in my songs. I write about the real things that are happening to me and to the people around me."
With that resolve, he dared the odds and wrote and sang about the evils that were entrenched in his country during the white, minority rule. His ability to express his rage at the inhuman predisposition of the government and its agents in a melodious rhythm confirmed his status as social crusader and artistic genius. His live shows around the globe were electric and most of his albums - 22 produced in two and half decades - were instant hits. And unlike many other musicians across Africa, his inspiration and fervour did not terminate with the attainment of majority rule in South Africa . Rather, he channeled his creative energy towards confronting contemporary matters like corruption among the political elite.
Consistency and excellence do have their own rewards. Dube's moment of incontrovertible international endorsement came in 1991 when he performed at the Sunsplash Festival in Jamaica before the world's most exacting reggae audience. The success he recorded there became the springboard upon which to actualize his future achievements and laurels. Without the aid of Indian hemp, often perceived as reggae musicians' trademark, the multi instrumentalist climbed steadily into superstardom. His song, "Together as One" became the first black music to be played on a white radio station in South Africa . His first two albums, "Slave" and "Prisoner", sold over 500,000 copies in South Africa alone- the best selling releases ever in that country.
Dube's enduring appeal is, no doubt, a product of cognitive endowment, perseverance, hard-work and an abiding faith in the dignity and victory of the human spirit. Sadly, however, the cruel fate that befell him in the presence of his own children, in the land whose freedom he had fought for so vehemently, points to the vulnerability of those noble qualities. But for a continent in dire need of role models, of the hope to face tomorrow, no resource should be spared in ensuring that the perpetrators of violence and killings do not escape judgment. Also, the environment should be made less attractive to criminals.
These goals should be pursued frontally in the nations that parade the worst cases at the moment. A United Nations report puts daily murders in South Africa at 40. But Africa's most prosperous nation cannot afford to maintain this harrowing profile. The death of the reggae legend should be a wake-up call for the government and people of South Africa . The consolation here, however, is that though he departed the ever demanding scene at only 43 years, his place in the hearts of a sizeable portion of humanity is assured. Adieu, Dube!
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