Lucky Dube

[Kush]

I got a DVD live concert of the late great Lucky Dube recently and first put 3, then 5 then 8 and finally put together an 11 song compilation links. He started writing and recording songs in English only after his 5th album and the first album in English was promptly banned by the South African government at the time. Saw him live in New Orleans and his live performances are exhilarating. Some of the lnks are live and some from music videos:

1. Remember Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16qM4eBptdY

You left for the city many years ago
Promised to come back
And take care of us
Many years have gone by now
Still no sign of you Daddy
Mother died of a heart attack
Many years ago when she heard
That you were married again
Now, I' m the only one left
In the family

Daddy where ever you are remember me
In what ever you do I love you

Wandering up and down
The streets of Soweto
No place to call my home
I tried to find you
Many years ago
But the woman you' re married to
was no good at all


2. Different Colors
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-weCbpVAcM

3. Its not Easy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj1AvJeegVM

4. House of Exile
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn_JkbkJ9-0

Freedom fighter standing on a mountain
In a foreign country
Trying to send a message
To his people, back in the ghetto
He had a home one time
Love of a girl
But he left all that behind
Oh yes I can hear him clearly as he whispers in the air
His voice came out loud and clear
All he asked for was a prayer and as he turns to walk away he said

I'm still here in the House of Exile
For the love of the nation

Sun went down on the mountain
Birds flew back to their hiding places
Leaving him standing there like a telephone pole
In the still of the night
You and I dream
Dream of Romeo & Juliet
All he dreams about is the freedom of the nation
When every man will be equal In the eyes of the law
As he closes his eyes for the last time
he said again
I'm still here in the House of Exile
For the love of the nation


5. Soldier
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6pEGFlfuZs

6. Love Me (the way I am)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux84-FO3HEE

Who' s child am I gonna be tonight?
Who' s bed am I gonna sleep in tonight?
You told the other ones
I was your brother's child
You told the other ones
I was your sister's child
Everytime they come to the house
I got to change my name
Everytime they come to the house
I got to change my identity
Whose child am I gonna be tonight?
As he walked away with tears in his eyes
I felt every pain that he felt
I cried every tear that he cried
Mama why?

I wish you could love me the way I am

Whose dogs are gonna be my friends tonight?
Whose bin am I gonna eat out of tonight?
The welfare people when they come
To the house you told me to say nothing
Every time they wanna take me away
You say everything is alright
Whos bins am I gonna eat out of tonight?
As he walked away with tears in his eyes
I felt every pain that he felt
I cried every tear that he cried
Mama why?

I wish you could love me the way I am

7. The Other Side
http://www.last.fm/music/Lucky+Dube/_/T ... ?autostart

His name is Jackson he lives in Jamaica
Every morning he comes down to the docks to watch the ships come and go
he's been here too long
mental slavery has not touched him one bit
he still knows his history, he knows where he comes from
that is why he believes the ocean can give him some answers
about the very very far home
that he's never been to. All his life he says
I wish I was home, I wish I was in Africa
I have seen his world
I've seen the other world. I have nothing to say
I put my coat on my shoulders
as I walked away, I heard myself sing

The grass is greener on the other side
til you get there and see it for yourself

His name is Themba
He lives in Soweto
every morning he goes to the airport to watch the planes come and go
He has changed his African name to a Western one
cause he doesn't know how it hurts to have a name
you can't be proud of. He hopes that one day
one of these birds of the sky can take him away
to a very very far land
running away from the very roots
that so many black people in the world
are wanting to come back to. A place they call home
they wish they were home
they wish they were in Africa

I live in his world, I've seen the other world
I got nothing to say
I put my coat on my shoulders
as I walked away, I heard myself sing
The grass is greener on the other side
til you get there and see it for yourself

8. Hold on
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReczOABIvgY

I knew exactly
What you were going through
It's just that I didn't have the right
To discuss your problems
I saw you struggling for our education
I saw you struggling to get us clothes to wear
This man you got married to Mama
He is dead or alive?
Over the years I asked myself so many questions
Is he my real dad or was I adopted?
I know it's difficult for you mama
But hold on I am a little grown up now

Hold on
Just a little bit longer now

You were a laughing stock in the community
The press didn't rest
Makin' news out of you mama
Now is the time to show them that
He who laughs last laughs the best,
that's the way it is Mama

Hold on
Just a little bit longer now

I know it's not easy for you
but your tears will turn to laughter
now that I"m a grown up mama

9. The Hand that Giveth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYRmxIXlcLg

10. Victims
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk0sMwzpGhM

11. Prisoner
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEaE855xCsM

[Diane]

Hi Kush. Nice to hear some reggae in this section, really enjoyed. I remember reading about Mr Dube's senseless and untimely death a couple of years ago. What a loss. You've seen a lot of people for someone who rarely attends concerts.

Oh dear, since I have less time for forum ramblings these days I see the Bruce thread is sinking. John Etherington's thread on forgotten songs is bobbing along nicely though. Mind you, clicking on a few of the links I think the participants there are all still stoned, five decades later.

[Bequia]

Crime and Corruption, Lucky Dube, 1999:

Do you ever worry
About your car being taken away from you
In broad daylight
Down highway 54
Do you ever worry
About your wife becoming
The woman in black
Do you ever worry
About leaving home and
Coming back in a coffin
With a bullet through your head
So join us and fight this

[Kush]

Glad you enjoyed the reggae Diane. Re' concerts yeah I pick my spots . Actually in 2004 there was a special South African music focus at Jazzfest in New Orleans and all these guys Lucky Dube, Johnny Clegg, Vusi Mahlasela , think Hugh Masekela too but not sure + various lesser known bands and dance bands showed up. All musical roads lead to New Orleans, or atleast pass through it. I remember Lizzytysh bringing news of his death on the forum.

Beq...that is pretty weird that he wrote that in 1999. We sometimes hear of celebrities and unnatural death from suicide or drug overdose or even of plane crash but to be killed in a carjacking is pretty senseless - they could have just taken the car after threatening with a gun....

I asked the policeman
How much must I pay for my freedom?
He said to me, son
They won' t build no schools anymore
They won' t build no hospitals
All they' ll build will be prisons, prisons
All they' ll build will be prisons, prisons

(from 'Prisoner')

....a dark vision....this sounds almost like it could be in 'The Future'.

[Diane]

Actually in 2004 there was a special South African music focus at Jazzfest in New Orleans and all these guys...

Nice one. Ah, Johnny Clegg. He was the best dancer of all. Not to do with Africa but after previous conversations I thought I'd mention Jeff Beck's amazing You Had it Coming album that I've been listening to lately. Amongst other things, he is a master at making a guitar sound like a sitar. Check out Nadia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYqN-3JEe1Y
Nitin Sawnhey's original, with Reena Bhardwaj : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acX5JKSjzno

[Kush]

sweet. Loved Jeff Becks version...the drummer Vinnie Colaiuta is in Herbie Hancock's band and if I remember right played drums in the album in which LC contributed his spoken voice. Am not too familiar with Jeff Beck although I have heard the name.
Between Joseph Hill, Bob Marley and Lucky Dube am in a more reggae frame of mind these days - reggae in the bathroom, reggae in the bedroom, reggae everywhere...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcdGclO_uVc

[Kush]

Another one from Lucky - this is so good the whole world should be singing it, preferably with rum and coke in hand and dancing girls for company....

Ding ding licky licky licky bong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39EIPzHO36Y

[Diane]

Ding bingy dong bong to you too Kush. I seem to like dub reggae stuff, as well (or do I mean reggae fusion - I have no idea). Happened upon this. Pity the album's not available on cd.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2h2cBAC7rw4

I notice you are about to have your 2,000th post. Congrats. I raise a glass to you my friend. For the good times. x.

ps and Steven if you are reading - Hi to you too. I miss you guys and the olde Bruce thread. Hope things are good.

[Steven]

Hi Diane,

I miss you too and the olde Bruce thread (s) also. Thought of the snow discussion we had; we're exeriencing
the snowiest winter in recorded history in these parts. I join you in wishing Kush congratulations on the
2,000th post milestone. Things are okay. Hope that they are better than that for you.

[Diane]

Hi Steven:-). Yes I've heard about all the snow you're having in particular up in your part of the world. There is a great poem title - Shovelling Snow with Buddha. I hope you enjoy same when you have to clear your drive*. Things are good right now thanks.

Ah, now that I am on a theme - I notice more Dub Qawwali on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h1xUa8L2HY Ace album by Gaudi, who said that the message of qawwali and reggae is the same.

*of course I am making the assumption that there is any point in clearing your drive:-)

[Kush]

Nice find Diane. Enjoyed the reggae interpretation of Miles Davis and did try to track it down but it appears to be available only on vinyl. Don't know what # 2000 means - perhaps a measure of my distractability. Yeah the Bruce thread was great but all threads must die even this one - I am done with the endless threads and dangling conversations . Keep warm Steven...this the worst winter in awhile. I need some local warming.

[Diane]

Btw, another of Eric's Crossroads guitar fests on this summer. http://crossroadsguitarfestival.com/, tix only went onsale a week ago, sold out already.

So long, K. I'll keep movin' through the dark, etc...