Lucky’s music makes the world go around
Not everyone is born Lucky. Or Handsome.
Although in Plumtree, Zimbabwe – the birthplace of Lucky Moyo – it’s a fairly common occurrence.
Saddled with such a ‘fortunate’ birth name, Lucky may have opted to rest on his laurels. But, like his father before him, his work ethic drove him
to find a better life for his wife and family and, more importantly, he believes, to use his talents for the benefit of the communities to which he owes his very existence. The singer/songwriter, who now lives near Sittingbourne, has spent the best part of his life using music to energise and inspire – and to help those less fortunate than himself. While still at school, Lucky and his pals formed the band
Black Umfolosi, which went on to record a number of successful discs and perform at venues around the world. His big breakthrough – and introduction to Britain - came in 1990 when the band was invited to perform at the Glasgow Mayfest. He said: “We started the band as 14-year olds. After
leaving school, I later returned to the school to study painting, carpentry and building – useful vocational skills – and that’s when the offer of coming to Britain arose.” So in awe was Lucky of such an opportunity that the 26-
year old could not believe his own ‘luck’ – even after the ‘plane touched down at Gatwick. Lucky travelled back and forth for a decade, for seven or eight months of the year, during which time he played with the likes of Jools Holland, Moby and Jimmy Cliff. One highlight was when ‘Sound Sense’ – which promotes
community music in the UK – got him an invitation to meet some of the nation’s top music stars and Her Majesty the Queen during an evening banquet at Buckingham Palace. Lucky said: “It was a very humbling experience. All the
top names were there – but 12 of us had a private audience with Her Majesty, who was a really nice lady and very genuine. I remember it very vividly – especially when she said music was a great way of bringing people together.”
Having fallen in love with what he likes to call ‘sunny’ England and ‘sunny’ Sittingbourne, Lucky enrolled on a two–year arts management course at the Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, from where he proudly graduated in 2002. But, instead of heading home to Zimbabwe to promote the arts in Africa, Lucky found himself with the chance of working with ‘Music for Change’ in Canterbury, an organisation which works with young people, schools and ex-offenders to help entertain and enthuse them with a passion for music and the arts. Moving his wife and children over to the UK, Lucky found
new outlets for his skills with percussion and African dance. Having participated in WOMAD (the annual World Music and Dance Festival in Morecambe), Lucky found he was in demand to perform at a range of events all over the UK. But music, like sport, has the ability to bring pitfalls as
well as pleasure, says Lucky, as he reminisces on the early demise of artists such as Michael Jackson and Amy Winehouse. “The problem today is that talented young musicians
are pushed to the point where they crash and burn,” he said. “We are human beings, not music making machines.” Lucky works with young offenders and young people
With performers at Big Day Out, Gravesend 4 Mid Kent Living
expelled from school. He said: “I don’t believe in being politically correct; I tell them how it is. Life is tough. The real world is full of mountains and rivers to cross. People can give you advice – but at the end of the day, you are the ones who have to climb and cross them.”
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