Jah Birth New Ltd., based in Kingston Jamaica has secured an exclusive deal with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), one of the nation’s largest and most powerful broadcasters. The SABC has entered an agreement with Jah Birth to acquire the full and exclusive rights to Prophecy’s single “CHANCE – A TRIBUTE TO LUCKY DUBE” for a limited period in South Africa and the rest of the world; the agreement also extends to the single’s video. The song was written and recorded in Jamaica on the Jah Birth label and was dedicated to Lucky Dube after he was murdered in Johannesburg on October 18th.

Rohan Brown, a.k.a. Prophecy, is an up and coming Jamaican reggae artist who has been with Jah Birth since 2000.

“This project is a spiritual one and one which we had to do” says Delroy “Worm” Nevin, Chief Executive Officer of Jah Birth New Limited. Nevin continues to explain “that something needed to be done to honour a revolutionary, a humanitarian and a fellow reggae ambassador.” Thereafter, CHANCE – A TRIBUTE TO LUCKY DUBE was born. While the song acknowledges the loss and the pain felt over Dube’s death, it also asks pertinent questions about violence and its consequences.

In addition, the SABC is producing and filming a video for the song along with a documentary on Lucky Dube. The filming began last week in Jamaica and has since moved to Johannesburg, South Africa. Both the video and documentary will include footage taken in Soweto, and Durban. The documentary, which features Prophecy, follows Lucky Dube’s eldest son, Thokozani, as he embarks on a journey tracing his father’s path back to the roots of Reggae music. Thokozani comments: “The fact that the Jamaicans called us upon doing a tribute song to Lucky Dube is an indication that the SABC is a true custodian of South Africa’s cultural heritage and artistic expressions.”

While in Johannesburg, the single, CHANCE - A TRIBUTE TO LUCKY DUBE debuted on 18 of the SABC’s radio stations simultaneously at 19:55 EST. Since then Prophecy has been busy filming and interviewing with major radio and television stations across the nation. He has also maintained his connection at home in Kingston, speaking with Irie FM’s Ron Mushette live from SABC offices moments after the single had been launched. On Sunday he also connected with Running African’s Andrea Williams.

It has been a week of non-stop excitement for Jah Birth New Ltd., Prophecy and South Africans. Radio stations have been inundated with calls from listeners thanking and praising the Jamaican native who honours their hero. In return Prophecy was also honoured at a packed Club Carfax when he performed CHANCE - A TRIBUTE TO LUCKY DUBE with Lucky Dube’s band. The highly receptive crowd also had an opportunity to hear more of Prophecy’s work when he performed two additional, original songs: DEM WRONG and DON’T COME TELL ME. His performance was greeted with calls for an encore.

Now that it is official, Prophecy and Jah Birth are very proud to share this exciting news with the rest of the world. For more information, photos, or to book interviews contact Teresa Castellucci via sweettee@sympatico.ca and be a part of Jah Birth’s legend in the making as we pay tribute to the one we lost, Lucky Dube. R.I.P.