Rwandan reggae icon Raphael Mitali, better known by his stage name Natty Dread, died on the morning of June 14 at the age of 61 following a lengthy battle with prostate cancer. In early 2023, the musician revealed his diagnosis in an interview with The New Times, explaining that he had fallen ill while on vacation abroad. Seeking treatment, he was later admitted to the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany, where he had been receiving care since September 2022. ALSO READ: Rwandan musician Chriss Eazy mourns the loss of his mother “I thank God that I am still breathing and recovering, too. The hospital did everything it could to help me recover and get better, but I believe that God has the last say on it all. I trust Jesus is with me during this journey,” he said at the time. Despite the seriousness of his illness, Natty Dread displayed resilience. In February 2024, he made a brief return to Rwanda to attend the Kigali premiere of the Bob Marley biopic at Canal Olympia. During his visit, he appeared to be in recovery and expressed hope about his condition. He returned to Germany afterward for further treatment. ALSO READ: Natty Dread on how Bob Marley influenced his music career Born in 1969 to Rwandan refugee parents in Uganda, Natty Dread’s early life was shaped by displacement and adaptability. His family relocated to Kenya when he was three years old, and it was there that he met family friends from Israel who later helped him connect with Bob Marley in Jamaica. The two became close, and Natty Dread eventually lived with Marley in the late 1970s. A curious note in his biography is that some official documents list his birth year as 1964, which he once explained was a deliberate change he made to qualify for military enlistment. Natty Dread gained widespread recognition for his song “Hobe Rwanda,” which resonated with audiences as a powerful celebration of national pride. The track remains one of his most cherished works and helped establish his role as a cultural bridge, merging his global experiences with his Rwandan roots. His career began in earnest in 1990, and over the decades, he performed at more than 250 shows around the world. His international footprint included concerts in France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Israel, Rwanda, Uganda, Ghana, and the United States. Natty Dread is survived by seven children.
