Lucky Dube - 1964-2007

I just received some terrible news. Quoting from the International Herald Tribune article by Michael Wines...

"JOHANNESBURG: A team of gunmen shot and killed Lucky Dube (pronounced Doo-Bay), an international reggae star and one of South Africa's best-known musicians, in an apparent carjacking attempt late Thursday that underscored the continuing peril of violent crime here.

Dube, 43, what shot by three hijackers in Rosettenville, just south of downtown Johannesburg, as he dropped off his teenage son at his brother's house. Another child, a 16-year-old daughter, was in the car at the time, the police said.

The hijackers fled after Dube crashed his car into a tree. He died at the scene.

As the provincial police commissioner appointed seven veteran investigators to chase down the attackers, President Thabo Mbeki called on the nation "to confront this terrible scourge of crime, which has taken the lives of too many of our people, and does so every day."

The principal opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, said that "the circumstances surrounding his murder again illustrate that violent crime in South Africa is out of control, and that the government's remedies to address this scourge have failed."

Below you will find the link to a 15 track mix of Lucky Dube's music that I have put together in honor of him. I started playing his music after I got the sad news and it has been a little tough. I've been finding tragic new meanings in Dube's lyrics that I've never contemplated before and I found myself getting choked up on more than one occassion. I hope you'll give this a listen.

Tracklisting
1. "Can't Blame You" from the 1991 CD House Of Exile on the Shanachie label
2. "Let Jah Be Praised" from the 1987 CD Slave also on the Shanachie label
3. "False Prophets" from the 1989 Shanachie release Prisoner
4. "On My Own" from his 1988 release Together As One on the South African Gallo label
5. "Lovers In A Dangerous Time" from the 1993 Shanachie CD Victims
6. "Reggae Strong" from 1996's Serious Reggae Business on Shanachie
7. "Crime And Corruption" from 1999's The Way It Is CD again on Shanachie
8. "Victims" the title track from the '93 album
9. "Don't Cry" also from the Prisoner album
10. "Number In The Book" from the 2004 Heartbeat release The Other Side
11. "House Of Exile" the title track from the '91 CD
12. "The Hand That Giveth" from the Slave album
13. "Different Colours/One People" again from the Victims CD
14. "Remember Me" again from the Serious Reggae Business CD
15. "Never Leave You" from his 2007 release Respect on the Australian MSI Music label

Rest in peace Lucky Dube.