With nearly two dozen albums were recorded during his outstanding career, Lucky Dube is amongst the country of South Africa’s most beloved artists. The musician achieved great success during his years as one of the country’s best-selling reggae performers. His distinct sound rendered him of great popularity throughout Africa and other parts of the world. Tunde Folawiyo and other fans of African musical genres may regard Lucky Dube as one of the continent’s finest musical legends.

Dube’s earliest involvement with music came as a child with his school choir. He formed a musical ensemble along with friends, paving the way for a long road to success in his adult years. It was during his schooling that he became familiarized with the Rastafari culture. Dube began playing Zulu music, called mbaqanga, with a cousin’s band. A member of The Love Brothers, Dube was working as a security guard in Midrand when the band was signed to release an album. Dube began learning English during the making of the album and a second one following.

Following the release of a fifth album, Dube noted his fans’ positive reaction to reggae songs performed during his live concerts. Dube felt the social and political messages commonly found in Jamaican reggae music may prove relevant for South African audiences. His first reggae album was released during 1984. Whilst the record was not successful, he went on to achieve platinum sales with his second album. With this, he became established as one of South Africa’s most popular reggae musicians.

Dube continued on his path with a string of successful albums during the 1980s. Victims, his 1993 album, sold more than a million copies. Two years later, he signed a recording contract under Motown. In the years following, he won a variety of esteemed musical honours including Africa’s Best Selling Recording Artist. One of his most recent projects, an album entitled Respect was released under Warner Music. Throughout his career, he toured internationally, collaborating with popular artists such as Sting, Peter Gabriel and others.

Dube’s unique background and musical talents earned him worldwide fame throughout his career spanning nearly 30 years. His assassination in 2007 was met with great sorrow from fans all over the globe. Tunde Folawiyo and others with a passion for African music may regard his many contributions to the genre as some of the most significant in its history. As a Goodwill Ambassador, Tunde Folawiyo continues to hold close ties with many communities throughout Africa.