Lucky Dube

Lucky Dube was a South African reggae musician and devoted Rastafarian who became one of the continent's most influential and best-selling artists in the genre. Over a career of roughly 25 years, he recorded 22 albums in Zulu, English and Afrikaans, starting out performing mbaqanga music before finding his true calling in reggae, drawing inspiration from artists like Peter Tosh and Jimmy Cliff.

His songs, including «Prisoner», «Slave», «Together As One» and «House Of Exile», addressed themes of apartheid, injustice, unity and spiritual freedom, resonating powerfully with South African audiences during and after the apartheid era. His music helped establish reggae's presence across Africa and carried strong social and political messages wrapped in accessible, danceable arrangements.

Dube's popularity made him a towering cultural figure in South Africa and beyond, and his songs remain touchstones of African reggae to this day. His life was cut tragically short when he was murdered in a carjacking in the Johannesburg suburb of Rosettenville on 18 October 2007, a loss deeply mourned across South Africa and the wider reggae world. His legacy endures through a catalog defined by messages of unity, resilience and hope.