Roger Lucey – Solo @ 70!
Roger Lucey started writing and performing songs in the mid-seventies in his home town of Durban. He had dropped out of high school and after being conscripted into the South African army for two years, earned a living as a taxi driver, crane driver on the Durban docks and a fitter on the oil refineries – all the while writing and singing in pubs and clubs around the city. From those early times his songs reflected the social and political situation in the country and when he moved to Johannesburg at the end of the seventies he recorded his first album, “The Road is Much Longer.” The album was banned for possession and distribution and the security police launched a covert ‘operation’ to silence him. His second album “Half A Live” was also banned. The full story of those times only emerged a decade and a half later, when the policeman in charge of the ‘operation’ revealed the story to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Roger went on to work as a TV journalist covering the wars in Southern and East Africa and later in Madagascar, Bosnia and Chechnya. He left the news industry after more than a decade to join ‘Theatre for Africa’, an environmental theatre company, producing two of his own plays and acting, composing and playing music for many others.
He later joined etv, as editor and presenter of a nightly arts/news program. He was awarded the Arts and Culture Trust award for his work in publicizing the arts in South Africa. He has conducted several courses in television journalism and documentary production in the SADC countries and in SA. In May 2010 he graduated as valedictorian from Duke University’s Graduate Liberal Studies program. His final project, an autobiography Back In From The Anger was published in 2012 and was nominated for the Alan Paton award for non fiction. He taught for two years at Duke’s Center for Documentary Studies, during which time he performed several concerts in the USA. At the time his work was featured in the inaugural exhibition at the Museum of Modern Culture in Gotteburg, Sweden. He returned to etv to work on major documentaries on Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu.
He was a featured artist at the Incroci de Civilta literary festival in Venice and the Vicenza Poetry festival in 2016 and toured Italy, Sweden and Denmark in the same year. His work is the subject of doctoral theses at universities in Venice, Vienna, and Rhodes university. In 2016 he received a lifetime achievement award at the South African Music awards as well as the Moshito award for his contribution to South African music.
Roger now lives in Napier, Western Cape where he continues his work as a songwriter.
Review quotes of Roger’s recent album, Now Is The Time
“He has produced a most beautiful album” – Kevin Ritchie, Editor, The Star
“I’ve listened through several times now. It’s good. It’s very good. Bravo!” – John Maytham Radio 702/Capetalk
“Roger Lucey’s long awaited CD is finally out. It is brilliant. If there is one CD you get this year, make it this one” – Max du Preez, columnist
“The lyrics are those of a great survivor and master of reinvention” – Glynis O’Hara, The Mail and Guardian.
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