Nkulee Dube gets award

NKULEE Dube, daughter of the late South African reggae singer Lucky Dube, was recently honoured at the International Reggae and World Music Awards.

The 27-year-old singer was honoured for being the first artiste to be nominated six times since the award show began 31 years ago.

The event was held at the Washington Park in Chicago and the award list featured big international stars like Akon, Rihanna, Pitbull and Beenie Man.

Apart from being honoured for being the first artist from a non-Carribean country to be nominated at the awards, she cropped the award for most Promising Entertainer and even got a chance to performed performed with her idol, female reggae singjay, Tanya Stephens.

In an interview with the SA newspaper Sowetan Dube said: "It was such an honour and I nearly cried when she looked at me and said, 'wow! I didn't know that there was talent like that in Africa."

Dube, whose music career started when she was 16-year-old, is currently on a two-month tour of the United States where she will be performing in cities like Los Angeles, California, San Diego and New York.

The singer added that she has so far shared stage with Damain Marley's band, as well as shows including the popular Reggae on the River. She has also been invited to perform in a show headlined by rock and roll legend Mick Jagger in his private theatre.

The loss of her father who was shot and killed in 2007 was still a subject that touches her deeply and she felt justice had not been done.

"It is still a grey area for our family. While the perpetrators can be visited by their families and they might be freed if they behave well, I will never be able to go on an outing with my father ever again. I believe that if you take someone else's life your life should be taken too," she said.

Lucky Dube's Killers Sfiso Mhlanga, Ludwa Gxowa and Mbuti Mabe, were all sentenced to life in prison.

(from Jamaica Observer)