South African Reggae Star
Killed
Lucky Dube, the renowned South African reggae
musician, has been shot dead in Johannesburg during an attempted
car hijacking.
He had been dropping his teenage son and daughter
off in the suburb of Rosettenville on Thursday evening.
Police say the children explained they were already
out of the car when three shots were fired through a car window
killing their father.
One of South Africa's most popular artists, Lucky
Dube toured the world singing about social problems.
Mr. Dube's silver-grey Chrysler was said to have
rolled a few metres down the road and crashed into a tree.
"He was declared dead on the scene,"
Police inspector Lorrain Van said.
She said it was suspected that three people were
responsible for the attack.
Legend
Lucky Dube, in an interview with the BBC, explained
how he came by his name.
"When I was born I was sick so they thought I was going to die so
they didn't give me a name till I was six months or so... They
waited for me to die, but when I didn't die they said, 'Wow, he's
a very lucky boy!' So they called me Lucky,"
he said.
He began his career by singing Mbaqanga
(traditional Zulu) music and recorded his first album with the
Super Soul band in 1982.
He later moved into reggae, producing Rastas Never
Die and Think About The Children in 1984.
His albums Slave, Prisoner and Together As One saw
him gain first national, and then global, recognition.
Three years ago, his 1989 anti-apartheid hit Together as One,
which calls for world peace and harmony, was voted one of Africa's
top 10 songs.
Lucky Dube released his most recent album, Respect,
in April.
BBC/YINKA
