Life & Times

The first reaction on receiving yet another Lucky Dube compilation is to groan inwardly. Since the South African reggae star's death in 2007, there have been at least three such comps, and sitting on my shelves are collections with such unimaginative titles as The Essential, Best Of and Retrospective. Listening to CD1, the familiar hits such as ‘Slave’, ‘House of Exile’, ‘Think About The Children, ‘Respect’ and ‘Life & Times’ seemed destined for the slush pile. I love Dube's smooth, soulful voice and roots rhythms as much as the next man; he remains the most potent performer of African reggae and possibly the finest non-Jamaican exponent of it. But you only need the same tracks so many times.

However, on the second CD a revelation awaited. I was aware of his Zulu roots and that prior to 1984's Rastas Never Die, he had recorded in a township pop style as Lucky Dube & the Supersoul. But I don't think I'd ever heard any of the five albums he made before he metamorphosed into Africa's Peter Tosh; certainly none of this earlier material is on any of the other compilations mentioned above. ‘Life & Times’ presents 13 pre-1984 cuts, all recorded while Dube was still in his teens. The bounce and exuberance of the these tracks in the bubbling township style known as mbaqanga sits somewhere between the sound of the Mahotella Queens, the Soul Brothers and Brenda Fassie. They don't rival the righteous mastery Dube later acquired as a reggae singer. But they offer a fascinating insight into another side of his musical personality and make this latest addition to the shelf of Lucky Dube compilations more than worthwhile.