By Loretta Asquini and Katrina Newton
Lucky Dube and his band gave an uplifting and high-
energy performance at the Melbourne Palace on September 29. This band gives its all! Even if you're not a reggae lover, you can't fail to enjoy this infectious combination of great music and dance.
Lucky's voice (reputedly spanning three octaves) was stunning and has to be heard live to be fully appreciated, especially during the high notes in his soulful numbers. The female vocalists, talented in their own right, superbly complemented Lucky's voice. A highlight was the band's spirited dancing, especially when Lucky joined with his brass section in an energetic display of Zulu stomp.
Lucky and the band exuded enthusiasm and enjoyment. Despite the sobering content of the songs about life in South Africa, a genuine sense of humour and celebration prevailed. This atmosphere captivated the audience, which responded enthusiastically and grooved through the night.
This is truly reggae with a message. Songs such as "Group Areas Act" from Lucky's latest album, House of Exile, spoke optimistically of unity between races and the dismantling of apartheid. "Prisoner" spotlights the diversion of funds from essential services such as health and education. "Dracula", although performed with humour, warns of a system which is cruel and corrupt.
Lucky Dube and his band give an inspirational and thoroughly enjoyable performance. Don't miss them!
On the eve of his Australian tour, Lucky Dube spoke to Green Left Weekly's Norm Dixon about music and politics.
Lucky was remarkably coy about being compared to the reggae greats, Peter Tosh and Bob Marley. He felt that the comparison was being made because he has brought thoughtful lyrics to the forefront again in reggae.
"When I started doing my music", Lucky said, "I didn't want to be Peter Tosh or Bob Marley. I just wanted to be Lucky Dube ... but I feel very happy and honoured because those guys are the people that made reggae what it is today. The whole world knows reggae through Peter and Bob, and so to be compared to them is really an honour."
Asked about politics, Lucky was similarly modest: "I don't know much about politics. All I know is truth ... What I write about is mostly from personal experience. I don't write about imaginary things. I write about real things that are happening to me and to the people around me. To me that's not politics, just the truth."
Lucky said the message of House of Exile was more urgent and determined than earlier albums "because South Africa musically has opened up a little. Now we can talk about things, sing about things that we couldn't sing about in the past without fear. We have the freedom to write more sensible things."
Lucky has been in the forefront of the efforts by South Africa's musicians to end the terrible political violence in the townships. He recently contributed songs to an album to raise money for the victims of violence and raise awareness of the damage violence is creating.
"It has been proved that the government is somehow behind this whole thing, and some political leaders are behind it. It is not a matter of [a tribal war between] the Zulus and the Xhosa. Some leaders make this happen just for their own glory, as I say in the song 'Crazy World'.
"We are trying to make people aware that some of them are being used by the authorities to do these things. Some of them don't even know they are doing so much harm to the black nation and to South Africa just because they are taking orders from their leaders."
Despite the recent massacres at Boipatong and Ciskei, Lucky told Green Left Weekly he remained optimistic: "I have a strong feeling that it won't be like this forever. It's going to change. But that won't be the government or the political leaders that will bring about the real change. It is the people who will bring about the real change."
Lucky Dube's remaining tour dates are:
Sydney — Thurs Oct 8, Enmore Theatre.
Perth — Fri Oct 9, Berlin Club; Sat Oct 10, Fremantle Esplanade Marquee.