Roger Lucey

Roger Lucey (born 1954) is a South African musician, journalist, film maker, actor and educator. In the late 1970s and early 1980s his early career as a musician was destroyed by Paul Erasmus of the South African Bureau of State Security, because the lyrics to Lucey's protest songs were considered a threat to the Apartheid State. Although already aware of his anti-apartheid songs, the South African Government's security apparatus only swung into action to destroy Lucey's career after he performed a radical song in a programme on Voice of America radio. The criminal methods used against Lucey formed part of the testimony given by Paul Erasmus in front of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Career

Lucey holds and Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from Duke University, North Carolina.

Director of documentaries at e.tv (2007–2009)

• "Aria del Africa" is a film about the changing face of opera in South Africa. It cover the lives of two young opera singers from poverty stricken parts of the country as they prepare for their first professional production.
• "The Road to Then and Now" covers the journey of photographer Paul Weinberg as he collects and collates a unique photographic collection in the country. Featuring the work of eight prominent photographers.
• "Leading Like Mandela" a look at the six principles of leadership that have distinguished Nelson Mandela.
• "Mandela" a five-part series on the life of Nelson Mandela.
• "Desmond Tutu" a two-hour biographical documentary on the life of Desmond Tutu.

Director of IA Pictures

IA pictures (a division of Interalios investments) is a production company specialising in the production of documentaries and training videos. Hiw work here includes:

• Guardians of the Bow. The film covers a unique collaboration and tour of four musicians from Brazil, Angola and Portugal.
• The Accidental Busker, shot in Italy in 2000. It is the story of a musical journey through Italy and premiered at the Durban International Film Festival in 2004.
• Dead Tide, a documentary about the fishing industry in Mozambique. It is currently being used as an educational film at Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo. It is soon to be screened on SABC Africa.

Tecahing and academic work

Lucey has worked as a trainer and mentor for the Media Institute of Southern Africa. In 2006 he conducted training courses in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique and Durban; these courses were run in collaboration with the Centre for Creative Arts at UKZN.

Lucey has conducted short courses and semesters at Rhodes University, the University of Cape Town, the Durban Institute of Technology and Helderberg College in video production and media studies. Lucey was a mentor for Cue TV a project of the Rhodes University journalism department in both 2003 and 2004 and has been an external examiner for the Rhodes Journalism department over a number of years.

Other TV work

Lucey has worked as:

• Training consultant to SABC News, 2003 to 2004.
• Founder, producer and presenter of "e Arts", an arts programme for e news.
• Production Manager e-News.
• Field Producer for Wild Things, a US wildlife series for the ABC network. 1997.
• Cape Town bureau chief and deputy SA bureau chief for Worldwide Television News
• Senior camera operator/producer for WTN Johannesburg.
• Freelance sound recordist for ITN, WTN, BBC and ABC News.
• Senior sound engineer and manager.

Musician, songwriter and composer

Lucey has recorded five albums of his own songs. He has composed music for several documentaries and plays, and has toured Namibia and South Africa playing guitar, keyboard, saxophone, flute and percussion.

Notable recent performances include:

• Freemuse fundraising concert in the Nelson Music Room at Duke University
• Performance at the Museum of World Culture, Gothenburg Sweden in 2008
• Fourth International Gathering on Freedom of Expression. Istanbul 2006.
• Wordfest. National Arts Festival, Grahamstown. 2006
• Awesome Africa 2005/6
• Durban International Film Festival 2003/4
• Zanzibar Festival of the Arts 2003
• Second International Conference on Music and Censorship, Copenhagen 2003
• Third International Gathering on Freedom of Expression, Istanbul, 2003
• Songs published in Prof Michael Chapman's Anthology of South African Poetry 2003
• Mundos World Music Festival, Emilio Romano, Italy 2002
• Ferarra International Buskers Festival, Italy 2001
• Awesome Africa Music Festival, Durban 2000/1/2
• Poetry Africa Festival 2000

Actor, playwright and writer

Extensive work as voice artist on commercials and documentary films. Actor on commercials, both local and international, and performer in films, drama series and plays. Worked with Nicolas Ellenbogen and Theatre for Africa. Writer of two plays for Theatre for Africa; “The High Cost of Living” directed by Andrew Brent, and “Newsroom” directed by Nicolas Ellenbogen. Both premiered at the National Arts Festival, Grahamstown. Writer of several articles on news related stories. An article on the conflict in Chechnya (published in “Playboy” magazine) was nominated for a Mondi award.Arts correspondent for Cape Etc., a lifestyle magazine based in Cape Town.

Awards

• Winner of the Arts and Culture Trust, Media in Support of the Arts prize 2001
• Finalist in Arts and Culture Trust Journalist of the year 2001
• Living Treasures Africa Hall of Fame 2000
• Freemuse Ambassador. Inducted 2007.
• Recognition of Exceptional Final Project. Graduate Liberal Studies, Duke University, 2010.

Music albums

• The Road is Much Longer (1979), 3rd Ear Records, 3EE 7004
• Half-A-Live (1980)
• Running For Cover (1990)
• 21 Years Down The Road (compilation) (June 2000)
• Gypsy Soul (August 2002)

Further reading

• Coetzer, Owen. In Durban, '3rd Ear Music', originally published in Music Maker, 3 August 1979, Vol 1 No 15
• Staff, A Review by Freemuse of the film Stopping the music: Music censorship in South Africa South Africa 2002, 54 minutes, Directed by Douglas Mitchell, Produced by Michael Drewett. Accessed 25 June 2008
• South Africa's Rock Legends

External links

• Official website
• http://www.freemuse.dk/sw9383.asp
• http://freemuse.synkron.com/sw16982.asp
• http://www.servinghistory.com/topics/Paul_Erasmus
• http://wildeblue.blogspot.com/2009/06/no-more-silencing-roger-lucey.html
• http://www.iaspm.net/review/korpe.htm
• http://www.mg.co.za/article/1995-07-07-music-to-security-branch-fears