ArtistInfo

Benjamin Dube

*1962
R&B/Soul and World
A.k.a. Bonani Dubé

Benjamin was born 1962 January 23, he is the last born son to the late Reverend Benjamin (senior) and Mrs Grace Dube. Bonani Benjamin Dube is the last of the five children who grew up in Meadowlans Soweto just like any other child, in a Christian and musical family attending church. Our father was a guitarist and our mother a singer they were always on the road as evangelists under Assemblies Of God. At the age of 9 he developed the love of playing a guitar, at age 11 he started playing drums and bass guitar. Our mother, Grace would call all of us as children to come and sing, teaching us songs and how to harmonize. We started singing in the church as Dube family singers and Benjamin playing guitar and singing at age 12 (1974) when our parents were away. "Benjamin Jr." used to sing a hit song called "OH HAPPY DAY" by Edwin Hawkins, in our father's tent meetings. When Benjamin was age 14 our father passed away, and a year later 1977 we toured Netherlands as Dube family singers with our mother sharing the story of how our father was murdered. While in Netherlands Amsterdam we recorded an album called "Vader vergeef he then" – Dutch, meaning "Father forgive them" – composed by Benjamin. In 1978/79, we recorded another album called "Amen" under a local label. In 1980 Benjamin founded a singing group at High School (Daliwonga Secondary School) called "Share the Good News". Benjamin entered SABC talent search Competition and won 1st prize for a Stereo Cassette player and grocery hamper from OK Bazaar. From that talent search, he was spotted the secular artist by the name of Sello "Chicco" Twala, when they were about to start a pop band called "Image". So they called him to do some leads for the band, which started a relationship between Benjamin and Chicco. Together with Image they did (3) projects in which he wrote one song called "Valencia". Later in 1984/85, Benjamin recorded the family album - "We pray for Love" followed by his 1st single – "I Live Joyfully". When Chicco left Image to go solo he called Benjamin to join him in a company called Dephon. Then Benjamin made his first hit song- 'HOLY SPIRIT" with Chicco in 1986. In 1988, he released another album called "EBENEZER" featuring the late "Lucky Dube", followed by the Dube family's album called "We're What We Are", both released by Gallo Records. In 1989/90 he recorded an album called "Love Africa" which was the last record with Gallo. Benjamin then went to EMI division, CCP and did an album title "Benjamin Dube" produced by Sizwe Zako. After that Benjamin then went on his own, recording an album called "CELEBRATION" that he financed and produced. He was ordained in Zoe Bible Church by Bishop G.Z. Botwana as a Pastor. And then in 1992 he informed my mother Grace and myself Bonisani that God has called him to start a ministry by the name of High Praise Centre after a year of prayer, Benjamin Dube founded High Praise Centre Church in March 1994, which he is currently the President of the Church assistant by his brother and has five other branches Nationally. After releasing an album titled "Benjamin Dube" he then cut a deal with harmony records in New York (USA) under EPIC Records Label and he recorded his first album "I Feel Like Going On", which became his first album which sold over 50 copies in RSA.

Genres

• R&B/Soul
• World