Lucky Dube

The Roots Reggae Library brings to you Reggae music in unique collections. This edition features Lucky Dube. The discography is a unique collection, especially since the Roots Reggae Library holds five out of six Mbaqange albums which are sung in Zulu.

Lucky Dube is a Reggae musician from South Africa. His unique style has cast a spell over African Reggae. I doubt whether there will ever be a greater Reggae singer in the continent. He is a wizard of music, with a voice that can reach both high and low. He touches on sensitive topics, often focusing on his home country, the rights of the youth, Apartheid, love, and the love for Jah. His musical rhythms are unique, and so is the music he made previous to playing Reggae. If you like the South African Reggae style, I suggest you also listen to the likes of Sipho Johnson, Reggae Muntu, Joe Silo and Joe Gad.

Besides the Reggae albums of Lucky Dube that will be discussed here, Lucky Dube started by singing Mbaqange, a Zulu based music style. He produced six albums of which I have four in my collection. The album that I will be looking for the rest of my live is Ngikwethembe Na. The albums that I do have available are Lengane Ngeyethu, Kudala Ngikuncenga, Kukuwe, Abathakathi and Umadakeni. Their tracks are listed at the end of this page. It has taken a number of years to collect these albums, and a special thanks goes out to Schalk Burger from Namibia, who secured Abathakathi.

Any Zulu speaking Lucky Dube fan is generously invited to help me translate the Zulu songs of these albums. Anyone having possessing the Ngikwethembe Na will be generously rewarded for contacting me and helping me to access to this album. Don't hesitate! roots.reggae.library@gmail.com!

Lucky Dube - Rastas Never Dies

01. Rastas Never Die

02. Fresh Air

03. I Love You

04. Reggae Man

05. You Are The One
06. Dear Mother

Rastas Never Dies is the first album where Lucky Dube starts to sing Reggae music. Originally Rastas Never Dies contains just four songs. It is often distributed together with his next Reggae album, Think About The Children. The two will be discussed as two different albums.  And whereas the name of the album could lead you to think Lucky misunderstood English grammar, he does come up with the correct formation in the title of the first song, 'Rastas Never Die'. Whereas many artists form their type of sound throughout their discographies, Lucky Dube starts right off with the sound that is typical for his music. He will never stray away from it during the remainder of his career. In need of some positive 'Fresh Air' he swings to a good second track on this album. “East and west, north and south, 'I Love You' people”. He tells us to love your neighbour as much as you love yourself. Love everybody and you will be loved by others. The last original Rastas Never Dies track is 'Reggae Man'. An important track, because it is Lucky's first Reggae album after making a number of Mbaqange albums. Although he would still make the Umadakeni album after he made these tracks, he points out the start to become a Rasta Reggae man here. Lucky Dube produced a short movie called Getting Lucky on which there are two songs that have been taken to form the last part of Rastas Never Dies. I small warning, these two tracks are of inferior audio quality. 'You Are The One' is a nice song nevertheless where Lucky is looking for a darling to be the one. 'Dear Mother' is an emotional track where he makes some confessions.


Lucky Dube - Think About The Children

01. How Will I Know
02. I Will Never Fall In Love
03. Think About The Children
04. I Wanna Take You To Jamaica
05. I've Got Jah
06. Don't Say No












These tracks presented here are often found on the albums Rastas Never Dies and on Slave. However, I find it important to present the work of Lucky Dube as he produced it, rather than bundling it for easier listening. 'How Will I Know', for example, is on Slave as it is on Tell It To The Children. Although people told him that his lady "is in love with another guy in town", which confuses him, he knows for sure he loves her. Dube exposes us to the stretch of his voice, reaching very high tones as he sings "the love that she gives to me is so strong". You will find that Lucky sings a wide range of love songs. One girl is enough for him as he sings 'I Will Never Fall In Love'. There is a lot of passion involved in this song, and it is the all time favourite of my girlfriend, who might be Lucky Dube's biggest fan. The title track of this album is dedicated to the youth. More specifically, children without parents, "born to suffer". 'Think About The Children' is a passionate song. It belongs up there with the best of them. It is also regularly found on Slave. Singing love tracks pleases Dube well, he proposes a marriage to his girl, to become a "reggae-man's wife" in 'I Wanna Take You To Jamaica'. "Jah have mercy on me" is what the South African asks for. Jah is in his heart and he wants us to know 'I've Got Jah'. Ending the album with an evening track, without accepting "no" for an answer. Don't push Lucky away when he puts his hands on your shoulder, so baby 'Don't Say No'. A lovely album altogether which has often been forgotten in favour of Rastas Never Dies but the two should definitely be kept apart as two beautiful puzzle pieces in the Lucky DUbe discography, rather than only a single piece.

Lucky Dube - Slave

01. Slave

02. Let Jah Be Praised

03. I've Got You Babe

04. Rastaman

05. Back To My Roots

06. The Hand That Giveth

Touching on a very sensitive subject, the bright melody plays for 'Slave', the title track. He has lost his dignity trying to please everybody. Crying helps neither to face the reality. It is worth your while to watch the clip that was made for 'Slave'. Loving the intro rhythm of 'Let Jah Be Praised' I hear the lyrics about the wind, the moon and the stars. We know a lot about the world, all its beautiful features such as flowers and trees, but the final question that remains for us is answered by Jah, as "only God knows that", Negusa Negast. If you feel confirmed about your love and liked 'I Will Never Fall In Love', then you will be struck by 'I've Got You Babe' in the same way. "I have gone right round the world, trying to find a woman. A woman that will understand me. All the woman that I had before never understood me. Now that I find you babe, I ain't gonna look no further". He was previously singing about searching for such a woman in 'You Are The One' on Rastas Never Dies. The "ayoo wayoo" is Lucky's way of celebrating his songs. Teaching how it is done in Jamaica, today we are told that a 'Rastaman' needs a woman like everybody does. Going to a party, Dube feels the need to hit a number of high notes again in his disappointment by the music he hears at the party he attends. It was not good for a Rastaman, so he is going 'Back To My Roots', because "Reggae is mine, Reggae is mine". Rich men that don't care for helpless people are not the kind of people Dube sings his songs for. Blessed is "The Hand That Giveth. It is hard to imagine to be happy when you see others around you starving. The build up to the chorus is amazing in this track. It is sad to see another of Dube's albums coming to a close.

Lucky Dube - Together As One

01. Together As One

02. Eyes Of The Beholder

03. On My Own

04. Women

05. Truth In This World

06. Children In The Streets

07. Jah Save Us

08. Rastas

Perhaps the most well-known album of Lucky Dube, probably because of the title track, which is where the album starts with. 'Together As One', regardless of whether you are a Rastaman, European, Indian man. "The cats and the dogs have forgiven each other, what is wrong with us? All these years fighting each other but there's no solution. It is an anti-Apartheid song. A clip was made for this title track too, as was the case with 'Slave', found on the previous album. Beauty lies on the 'Eyes Of The Beholder', is the second message brought to us on Together As One. Let us not forget that beauty is subjective, so don't tell someone he has "legs like scrambled eggs", for instance. Neither call someone a "mama's boy", in 'On My Own'. Having waited twenty years, Lucky now believes in himself and thanks his parents. No longer does he play hide and seek, he has grown up and is ready to do things his own way. Men! Watch out! If we are not careful we will be destroyed by this 'Women', the feminist women. The song is beautiful for its contrast. Where Lucky Dube warns men, the female background singers sing "we want to be free and have equal rights". Truth songs are common, as well as a high pitched voice, like a preacher he brings 'Truth In This World', bringing us closer to the next track which is 'Children In The Streets'. They should not be in the street, but should be getting education and a future in the school. Parents that don't want no children, "why you have them?". The female background singers come in with "we can fight and overcome, we can stop children from the streets". The children in the streets should be saved, saved by Rastafari. Looking around, all of us should be saved by the Lord, so please 'Jah Save Us'. The transition of Lucky's voice halfway is nice, "them a come up in a I and I a ghetto", turning away from Babylon. We heard 'Reggae Man' on the first album, the second album had 'Rastaman', and Together As One has 'Rastas'. All to be played is Reggae music, until it is number one and stays at the top. Aren't we all dreaming Reggae, sleeping Reggae and walking Reggae? I know I am. And Rastas never die. We knew that from the first album onward. Neither does Reggae music ever die. Look at the reality of this, Lucky Dube was shot in 2009, but we are still playing his music. So he was right, and he could have added "Lucky's music never dies".

Lucky Dube -  Prisoner

01. War And Crime

02. Prisoner

03. False Prophets

04. Remember Me

05. Jah Live

06. Dracula

07. Reggae Strong

08. Don't Cry

09. Steel Bars

10. Reggae Strong For Peace

"Why don't we bury down Apartheid", the first stance of this album. Everywhere in the world people are fighting, and we are all blaming one another. No matter whether black, white, Indian, coloured, we have got to set aside our differences. Fight down 'War And Crime'. The song was banned by the Apartheid regime. The following slogan is just as strong, "they won't build no schools anymore, they won't build no hospitals. All they build will be prisons, prisons". Two albums ago a slave, now a 'Prisoner'. Lucky is fed up not only with politics, but also with the lies and illusion from 'False Prophets'. Talking about false, 'Remember Me' seems to have a false start with the background singers, but it is meant that way. Being the only one left in his family, he sings an important message. The track is even stronger bearing in mind that Dube passed away not long ago. He no longer wanders down the streets of Soweto. Who we should remember as well is Jah, because 'Jah Live', and let Rastas will never die. Of course Bob Marley wrote a song with the same title. In the next song we see a resemblance to Peter Tosh, who opened 'Vampire' with similar sounds as 'Dracula'. You can try to hide but Dracula has no mercy. "During the day he's my friend, but when the night falls he's nobodies friend. His eyes shine wild fire, his heart is cold as ice. He lives on human blood, he feeds on human flesh". And "don't trust no one, don't even trust yourself". Followed by an ode to Reggae, because no matter with how hard they have tried to destroy it, 'Reggae Strong'. The Rastaman is the only one left in Jah creation. So nobody can stop Reggae. A happy vibe is prolonged. Thousand of people want to see him, and millions are waiting for him to sing "ayaaga yoo", "I've got you babe", "together as one" and "I'm a slave". So Lucky goes around the world to tell us 'Don't Cry', Although rare for Lucky Dube, I have two additions for the Prisoner album. On 'Steel Bars' we do not hear Lucky Dube, but only the female background singers. However, we hear Lucky loud and clear on 'Reggae Strong For Peace', which he sings at a live concert. Tears run down my face hearing this song, I can hear it over and over again. It is really a pity that this song was never recorded on any studio album. 

Lucky Dube - House Of Exile

01. House Of Exile
02. Crazy World

03. Group Areas Act

04. Reap What You Sow

05. It's Not Easy

06. Running, Falling

07. Hold On

08. Up With Hope

09. Can't Blame You

10. Mickey Mouse Freedom

11. Peace Perfect Peace

Another album starting with its title track. The 'House Of Exile', freedom fighters for the love of the nation. A typical Lucky Dube song, the music, the background vocalist, everything is in place. "People dying like flies every day" in this 'Crazy World'. And anyone can be the next victim. All around the world we have wars, and no one can go to bed knowing for sure if he'll wake up. The 'Group Areas Act' refers to the system of relocating black people during the Apartheid system in South Africa. Lucky is very excited about the prospect of being free, and being able to mingle with all South Africans, no matter their colour of skin. He is willing to forgive and forget. Time to pay the price! 'Reap What You Sow'! Your attitude will affect what is coming back at you, what goes around comes around. Hearing the first tunes of 'It's Not Easy' will probably have you wonder whether Dube is switching from Reggae to a different style of music. But no, he is not. This song is about a sensitive subject, divorce. Explaining how this decision is for the best. The clip Lucky recorded for this song has him playing the piano, while unfolding his explanation for his mother. Another Peter Tosh influence, oppressor man style, he sings 'Running, Falling'. He also sings about 40 years and the kingdom that is falling. A cry of hope for his mother follows, introduced by a nice Dube tune, 'Hold On'. Just a little bit longer and the future will be more bright. "He who laughs last, laughs the best". Against the use of drugs, "'Up With Hope', down with dope", because the nation is going down the drain. "Cocaine no good for you, liquor no good for you, you going sniffing them glue, no good for you". 'Can't Blame You' is another emotional track, as most tracks are. Not only on this album, but the discography is full of them. Strong to judge the way things are organised in South Africa, Lucky criticizes it for being a 'Mickey Mouse Freedom'. The last song is exclusively added to this album on the Roots Reggae Library. Lucky played in at the same concert as 'Reggae Strong For Peace' which you found on the previous album. The name of this last track is 'Peace Perfect Peace'.

Lucky Dube - Victims

01. Different Colours, One People

02. Lovers In A Dangerous Time

03. Victims

04. My World

05. My Game

06. Keep On Knocking

07. Soldiers For Righteousness

08. You Know Where To Find Me

09. Johnny

10. Little Heroes

11. Play Us A Song

What is that? Are we playing Super Mario? No! We are listening to 'Different Colours, One People", God made man in his image, but he didn't say whether that was black or white. The whole world should be singing this song. We would be much less likely to find one another. Again Lucky sings about "many years ago", this time for the song 'Lovers In A Dangerous Time'. Love conquers everything, and transcends race.Then the title track, 'Victims'. "How long will they kill our prophets, while we stand aside and look" is what Bob Marley sang, and Dube continue with these words. Heroes should no longer die in vain and be victims of brutality. Trembling into 'My World' we hear a track in which is touched on the interaction between a rich man and a little boy. The rich man is welcomed to the kingdom of the children. This kingdom lacks politics and no one cares about money. From 'My World' to 'My Game', a fight between the physical and the spiritual, but even more so the truth. The female vocalist sing in a Bon Jovi like fashion. Speaking up for women rights, the rights of his mother, he ignores the knocking in 'Keep On Knocking'. This songs lyrics also remind of that of The Congos 'Can't Come In'. The wind blows and the 'Soldiers For Righteousness' march into the classroom. A low baritone voice in the chorus is rare in the music of Lucky Dube. The Soldiers fight against tribalism, oppression, corruption, racism and of course Apartheid. Looking for a musical shoulder to cry on? Well 'You Know Where To Find Me', when you want to talk and listen to Lucky Dube. Although he seemed a sweet kid, 'Johnny' turned out to be naughty. Started to do drugs, became a bad boy, and died. Peter Tosh sang 'Johnny Be Goode', Bob Marley sang 'Johnny Was', and Lucky Dube sang 'Johnny'. For me these songs all belong in the same category, and so do the artists who sing the songs. The album is characteristic for the amount of songs dedicated to the youth, and so is 'Little Heroes'. Angels and the devil fighting over the possession of kids. Then 'Play Us A Song' is better known as 'Mr. DJ'. It is a single that does not originally belong on the Victims album. You will find it here on the Roots Reggae Library as all singles are added to the artists discography. 

Lucky Dube - Trinity

01. Feel Irie

02. Trinity

03. Serious Reggae Business

04. My Brother, My Enemy

05. Rasta Man's Prayer

06. Puppet Master

07. Affermative Action

08. Big Boys Don't Cry

09. Life In The Movies

10. God Bless The Women

11. You Got No Right

12. Oh My Son

A very strong start of the album, 'Feel Irie'. Both a favourite of me and Schalk Burger, who helped me acquire one of the Mbaqange albums, Abathakathi. We often played the song while I was spending time in Namibia, and irie we felt indeed. Namibia gained independence in 1990, while previously being a province of South Africa. Naturally, the freedom music of Lucky Dube is very popular in the country. The chorus of this song is wonderful and so is the cry of the trumpet. Uniting under the 'Trinity', Dube sings once again about freedom fighters. 'Serious Reggae Business' is also the name of a compilation album. That album is not included in this library since it features tracks that you can find on the albums that are in this library. "Not every black man is my brother, not every white man is my enemy", a beautiful statement if you ask me, made in 'My Brother, My Enemy'. Simple, but it holds a lot of truth. A 'Rasta Man's Prayer' for Jah. Even though policemen cut down the plant, it will always grow again, all over the world. A prayer for the use of marijuana! Everyone thanks God for their own purpose, but the Rastaman's prayer is very sincere. In-between heaven and hell we find the 'Puppet Master'. He again sings about the freedom fighters, fighting against the puppet masters, who are roaring like thunder and lions. "Education is still the key", which is a lot more important than 'Affirmative Action'. The only way to improve the economy is to have education. Affirmative action fools the people, it is not the way out. The way which Lucky Dube starts the song is a bit like the Tribute To The Martyrs album of Steel Pulse, starting with the chorus, which fades, after which the full track starts. Lucky does this more often. It is not the first time he sings that he cries, in 'Big Boys Don't Cry'. The track is not really a Reggae track. The chief of the police starts 'Life In The Movies'. Apparently, the police have joined the side of criminals. He wants to point out that real life is not as easy as it seems in James Bond or Eddie Murphy films. Which follows is a praise for all the women in this world, fighting for what is right, 'God Bless The Women'. As a whole, he is more positive than he was on Together As One in his track 'Women' which was more two sided. This track is different, it is in total appraisal. The next song originally does not appear on Trinity. Whereas usually I add singles as the last song on an album, I changed the order this time, as you will find that the song that is originally the last on the album is a bit different. This order is therefore more logical. So here you have it, 'Oh My Son'¸ which I find a very touching song. He explains to his son how he and his mother divorced, which he sang about earlier in House Of Exile. Then as the last track, 'You Got No Right'. Be ready to be shocked! The song is introduced by a conversation between husband and wife. What follows does not need much explanation. 

Lucky Dube - Taxman

01. Guns & Roses

02. Taxman

03. Is This The Way

04. Take It To Jah

05. Mirror, Mirror

06. We Love It

07. You've Got A Friend

08. Kiss No Frog

09. Well Fed Slave, Hungry Free Man

10. Good Things

11. Release Me

12. I Want To Know What Love Is
13. We'll Find A Way

Using the title to name two things that are as far apart as he can imagine, 'Guns & Roses'. The world of politics and the world of music. The first is only concerned with money, whereas Lucky Dube with his music tries to solve actual problems. Another guy on his list to criticize is the 'Taxman', as it is the only guy he is spending money on while getting nothing in return. Lyrically a very good track if you ask me. "'Is This The Way' you want it to be?" Of course a poor man has no desire to be poor. "Begging for a dollar, begging for a dime". A bit of a Rock track, with some Rock riffs in-between the lyrics. From Rock to Orchestra, all his pain, worries, troubles, crying and suffering he wants to 'Take To Jah', because Jah has told him to do so. A soft and tender track. We hear typical Dube sounds again in 'Mirror, Mirror'. The message in this song is very Tosh-like, "love all your friends, but never trust anyone of them". Exactly what Peter Tosh wanted to bring across in Wanted Dread & Alive, who was killed years later by a so-called friend. Up-tempo 'We Love It', we need it, we smoke and eat it, and we get high. He is actually talking about music, not drugs. The start of the seventh track sounds like his songs in Zulu, the Mbaqange tracks. for those of you wondering what those sound like, you can request a personal copy. Dube tries to take our worries away by singing 'You've Got A Friend' in need. But there are limits indeed, because he doesn’t want to 'Kiss No Frog', not believing in fairy tales. The girl in his song had different believes. Two sides of the same coin, and a rather tough choice he lays afore us in 'Well Fed Slave, Hungry Free Man', if you dare to look into the eyes of a homeless man, a jobless man, or a man held captive in prison. It is time to make up your mind, "to be or not to be". "There will be a time in your life when you need me the most, but I won't be there". These words are very striking since Lucky Dube is no longer amongst us. However, 'Good Things' will come nonetheless. Though only to those who do good themselves. Having not yet cleared up everything, he calls his ex-wife to get some more closure and asks her 'Release Me'. We hear the woman in question sing as well in this song, and she ends up asking the same thing. Both are confused, and Lucky thus asks another question, 'I Want To Know What Love Is'. He turns towards his falsetto voice again singing this last song on the Taxman album. 'We'll Find A Way' is the introduction Lucky gives before singing 'Take It To Jah' on live concerts now and then. It has been extracted for a final song on this album.

Lucky Dube - The Way It Is
 
01. Crying Game
02. Crime And Corruption
03. The Way It Is
04. You Stand Alone
05. Man In The City
06. Let The Band Play On
07. Man In The Mirror
08. Rolling Stone
09. Till You Lose It All
10. The Show Goes On




 



"Mine is bigger than yours" is how The Way It Is starts. Lucky Dube has been playing games but he ends up in a 'Crying Game'. "They say the winner takes it all" but things are a little different in his case. We should all stand strong against the terrible 'Crime And Corruption' around us.He sings about coming back in a coffin with a bullet in your head as if he knew how his life would end ten years from landing this album. Raising his voice and running like a fugitive all the time, "it's so funny we don't talk anymore", but that is just 'The Way It Is'. He pats himself on the shoulder for a job well done, dodging a bullet in the street, risking redemption from his own people. 'You Stand Alone' if you are standing for the truth. The message is a sad one and it is not the first sad message. Lucky Dube would probably say in his defense that he is just being realistic. The liar has got "a nose as long as a telephone wire". Not Manchester City but 'Man In The City'. 'Man In The City' builds its first minute up but comes in strong. Dube is standing alone in the middle of the city. A man from the past, two thousand years ago the place was his home and he used to run the place. Currently the jungle is nothing but a concrete jungle. "He's a lonely man in the middle of the city". Never stop the music so please 'Let The Band Play On'. Times are hard but the message remains the same, turn up the music! Lucky sees only one face when he goes to bed at night, the star of his show, the 'Man In The Mirror', he owes it all to him. He uses his falsetto voice with full confidence. Walking into the sunset she says she wants something she can't get. "A 'Rolling Stone' gather no moss" is the central idiom in this song. Some classical music for 'Till You Lose It All' which soon makes way for the well known Lucky Dube Reggae beat. We shouldn't take everything for granted. "You never miss your water till your well runs dry", Lucky has been listening to Peter Tosh for sure and so should you! We hear some melodies from kids songs and 'The Show Goes On', with or without you. "Forget about your mama, forget about your daddy", it's time for yourself to shine and to control your own destiny. Everybody's watching!

Lucky Dube - Soul Taker

01. Put A Little Love

02. Romeo

03. Sleeping Dogs

04. Teach The World

05. Soul Taker

06. Money Money Money

07. Is This Freedom

08. Love Me The Way I Am

09. Good Girl

10. Fugitive

11. Sins Of The Flesh

 

Dube knows that the world needs a little bit of love, so he sings 'Put A Little Love', now what a track! A beautiful start of this new campaign. "I'm not the kind of guy that will tell you I love you in many fancy ways", however, I love you as much as you can possibly imagine. "I'm your 'Romeo', could you be my Juliet?" Switching to political diarrhea in 'Sleeping Dogs'. In many versions of this song you will find a nasty tweak at 4:55 which I have removed. Lucky Dube is doing a good job to 'Teach The World' about the realities of South Africa. Meanwhile he sings this song about nations in general. It takes many people to build a good reputation, but it takes a single fool to destroy the dignity of that same nation.We should be careful, and we only have one life, before the 'Soul Taker' comes around and takes your soul. An alien like kid voice appears in this song and sings the chorus partially. The world is dominated by one thing according to Lucky Dube and his vocalists, 'Money Money Money', and no longer by love. Especially the Dollar is a problem. We can therefore wonder 'Is This Freedom'. Many of our ancestors have never tasted the freedom that we ourselves take for granted. A brother's child, a sister's child, Lucky Dube has been called a lot and he sings about it in 'Love Me The Way I Am'. He seems to be having an identity crisis and he wishes to be loved the way he is, as the title suggests. He'd hate to see his daughter, his 'Good Girl', go bad. So let no stones be thrown into her glass house. No one would like that anyway, right Peter Tosh? And he also winks to Bryan Adam's 'Summer Of '69'. On the run as a 'Fugitive', a running man, he has been doing so for his whole life. Imagine what a political asylum feels like. As I said before, baritone lyrics are rare in Dube's music, but we get to hear it again in 'Sins Of The Flesh'. Dube himselfs sings falsetto. The combination sounds very sweet. A holy song in remembrance of Jesse Jackson.

Lucky Dube - The Other Side

01. Number In The Book

02. The Other Side

03. Ding Ding Licky Licky Licky Bong

04. Cool Down

05. Familie Ties

06. Divorce Party

07. Soldier

08. Julie, Julie

09. The Bully

10. Hero

On The Other Side are another ten new Lucky Dube tracks for you. The favourite album of Ashraf Almomani, the Arab translator of the Roots Reggae Library. Everyone is a piece of a puzzle, and you don't want to be simply a 'Number In The Book', so make something special of your life. You never know which day might be your last. The grass looks greener on 'The Other Side', but is it really? Go there and see for yourself. Jamaicans and black skinned people around the world like to express their desire to go back to their roots in Africa as if it were the promised land, but one can doubt if it really is that much better to shift continents. At the same time, South Africans wish to move out of the country. This is the harsh reality Lucky Dube presents in his music. In the next song he greets happiness and thanks Jah for another day, 'Ding Ding Licky Licky Licky Bong'. He asks a gringo to go dance with him and we hear the music getting carried away. The Houdini of cheating plays another one of his cards in 'Cool Down', where he sings "it doesn't matter where I get my appetite, I will always eat at home". The marriage is doomed, after as many as seventeen years, when the woman starts to play the same tricks. A lesson learned is to strengthen your 'Family Ties' more consciously. Be aware where your sons and daughters are tonight, and be sure they come home safely. But you should know about your mother and father the very same thing. Indeed a very unusual thing, to give a 'Divorce Party', ending the marriage in a different style. "Freedom from each other" and "I hope our paths will never meet again". I admire Lucky Dube for his creativity in this one. From divorce to suicide. The memories of the 'Soldier' blackened by what he has seen during warfare. "I was a soldier following instructions from the man we have known as the general". No medal can take away the guilt that the soldier feels for the crimes he had once committed. 'Julie, Julie', how can someone be a witchdoctor. Being a witch and a doctor at the same time seems to be a paradox for Lucky. 'The Bully' from Soweto is looking for a fight, so stay out of his way. But he should be aware that if he doesn't change his attitude he will definitely not go to. heaven. It would be much better to be surrounded by a 'Hero' than a bully. Not necessarily a hero that is well known. Because real hero's are not looking for fame. He gives examples of a fireman, a street-cleaner, and men and women taking care of abandoned children, as well as grandmothers who take care of their grandchildren. For a large part of his youth, Lucky was taken care of by his grandmother, so he is saying thanks to her in this song.

Lucky Dube - Respect

01. Respect

02. Shut Up

03. Political Games

04. Changing World

05. Shembe Is The Way

06. Monster

07. Celebrate Life

08. The One

09. Choose Your Friends

10. Never Leave You

11. Mask

12. Touch Your Dreams

The last album that Lucky Dube was able to release before being shot in a car hijacking in 2009. Respect starts with 'Respect'. He loves those who love him, but also those who hate him. He also blesses those who curse him, simply because he wants to respect everything and everyone who Jah has created. I'm loving the melody played throughout the song. And "if you can't say something good about somebody, just 'Shut Up'. Lucky Dube is only concerned with finding positive people in his life. He is therefore not interested in playing the 'Political Games' that politicians play. He asks the question whether politicians can really sleep at night. We should take some time to realise that we are living in a 'Changing World', regardless of whether we like it or not. Seeing a kid of twelve years old who has a child of her own, do we want to live in a world like that. As he sang in the 'Children In The Streets' song, don't have children if you are not sure if you want them. So again, take some time to think it over, do you want them to live in this world. The Shembe Church, or the Nazareth Baptist Church, which was founded by Isaiah Mloyiswa Mdliwamafa Shembe, holds mixed values between Christianity and the Zulu culture. 'Shembe Is The Way'. Not the 'Dracula' from Prisoner, but another 'Monster' opens the next track. Dube presents what he sees in his dreams. "One monster dies, another one comes alive". Liars, cheaters, politicians and backstabbers make life unbearable. Nevertheless we should always attempt to 'Celebrate Life' and make the best of it. Life is good, so aim to achieve positive things. After getting a restraining order, he is spying from the bushes as if he were a criminal. Luckily he has a box of memories inside his heart. He uses this to bring an ode to 'The One'. He is longing to spend a lot more time with the one. With his parents fighting, hearing their angry voices, he realises something. No one has the ability to choose who he is related to. However, you are able to form your own group of friends, therefore 'Choose Your Friends' wisely. Love transcends money and material things, even blood, in 'Never Leave You'. Luckily, all eternity is ahead of us, so there is no need to rush anything. The world is a stage and we all have a 'Mask' on. The question is what the story behind the mask is. Everyone is a clown in that sense. Lucky would end his career by telling us to 'Touch Your Dreams'. "You are the master of your dreams if you pull strings". I would say, let us take one night and walk with Lucky Dube in our dreams.

Below you will find the six Mbaqange albums of Lucky Dube, made predominantly before the Reggae albums that are found above. The Roots Reggae Library stores five of these six albums in digital form. I am passionately seeking to buy Ngikwethembe Na. I have not yet been able to find it anywhere. Anyone offering this album, no-matter in which form, be it Vynil or cassette tape. You can reach me at roots.reggae.library@gmail.com!

Lucky Dube - Lengane Ngeyethu

01. Baxoleleni

02. Lengane Ngeyethu

03. Malume

04. Abondaba

05. Kanti Nguwe

06. Benginethemba

07. Makhelwane

08. Uthi Ngiyakuhlupha

09. Bengikuthanda

10. Usukhohliwe Yinina

Lucky Dube - Kudala Ngikuncenga

01. Kudala Ngikuncenga

02. Lomuzi

03. Ngikhala Ngawe Ndoda

04. Umama Wethu

05. Nokuthula

06. Yini Lent' Oyifuna Kimi

07. Nomvula

08. Utshel' Umkani

09. Kudala Udlala Ngami

10. Wagugel' Ekhaya Deliwe

Lucky Dube - Kukuwe
 
01. Kukuwe

02. Lobolani

03. Izibizo

04. Siyakwethemba Baba

05. Konakele

06. Isikhwele

07. Lengane Ngeyethu

08. Uzongixabanisa

09. Uyithemba

10. Uthini

Lucky Dube - Abathakathi

01. Abathakathi

02. Sondela

03. Ngivika Izagila

04. Noma Balabala

05. Isono Sami

06. Angeke Ngikukhohlwe

07. Kwathula Umoya

08. Nguye Usathane

09. Ufana Ilobolo

10. Umkhulumeli

Lucky Dube -  Ngikwethembe Na

01. Uthandwa Yimi

02. Asilalanga Ngempela Sonto

03. Ngikwethembe Na

04. Umalokazana

05. Ngixolele Mama

06. Ngeyami Lengane

07. Ulahlwe Ngusathane

08. Isithingithingi Sendoda

09. Izinto Zinyenzeka

10. Ubothumela

Lucky Dube - Umadakeni

01. Iphulimende

02. Ungabomshay' Umfazi

03. Umadakeni

04. Hamba Nganeyami

05. Uze Ungikhumbule

06. Ngiyakuthanda

07. Welcome Baba

08. Zibuzwa Kuye

09. Amabhubesu

10. Asibavumele

Mbaqange Albums

««««« (1981) Lengane Ngeyethu

««««« (1982) Kudala Ngikuncenga

««««« (1983) Kukuwe

««««« (1984) Abathakathi

««««« (1985) Ngikwethembe Na

«««««(1987) Umadakeni

Reggae Albums

««««« (1984) Rastas Never Dies

««««« (1987) Slave

««««« (1988) Together As One

««««« (1989) Prisoner

««««« (1992) House Of Exile

««««« (1993) Victims

««««« (1995) Trinity

««««« (1997) Taxman

««««« (1999) The Way It Is

««««« (2001) Soul Taker

««««« (2003) The Other Side

««««« (2006) Respect

Original Date Of Publishing: August 2015