Lucky Dube’s kids want more for father’s memory

JOHANNESBURG - Every year on October 18, all six children of the slain reggae singer Lucky Dube gather at home and sing his songs in commemoration of the day his life was cut short.

However, his family is hurt that their father is still being remembered with events in other countries while here at home he has been forgotten. Yesterday marked 15 years since Dube was shot and killed while dropping off one of his children in Rosettenville, Johannesburg south. The three suspects linked to his death were sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, in 2009.

Dube’s daughter, Nkulee Dube, who is also a musician, said October 18 was very emotional for all her siblings.

“Normally on this day, we meet as Lucky Dube’s kids just to remember our dad but it becomes emotional because we are still healing. My brother Thokozani and I were there in that car on the day my dad was killed and this day brings back those memories.

“We’d play my father’s music and sometimes watch his videos. Today (Tuesday), my siblings are coming to my house just to commemorate our father. We try not to make it look like a celebration with loud music. We do share a meal and share the good moments and comfort each other,” said Nkulee.

“What pains us is that his birthday which is in August is not celebrated in SA. In other African countries like Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia they celebrate it. For example, in August, I was invited to Burkina Faso where they had an event to celebrate his born day. I further went to New Zealand where I even performed some of his songs.”

As the reggae community and his children marked the day of his 2009 murder yesterday, they reflected on Dube’s significant role in making reggae fashionable and taking it beyond African shores. Last month a rare recognition for the reggae maestro in his homeland took place via the South Africa (SA) Traditional Music Awards who organised a lecture delivered by Professor Patrick Lumumba of Kenya.

His children, however, want to see more being done by SA in celebrating the legacy of their father. Nkulee said there is a library named after her father in Malaysia including a statue.

“A lot of people celebrate my dad because of the role he played taking reggae music beyond African borders. Today, when you perform in countries like Brazil they ask every African reggae artist about my dad because of the impact he made. I would like to see a sculpture of him just to remember him.”