Reggae artist Natty Dread passes on
Reggae artist Natty Dread died on the morning of June 14, 2025, in Germany, where he had been receiving treatment.
The source confirmed that the musician succumbed to illness. Natty Dread had been undergoing treatment at University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) since September 2022.
In February 2024, after several months of treatment, he returned to Kigali and attended the premiere of a Bob Marley documentary screened at Canal Olympia. At the time, he told IGIHE he was feeling better and optimistic about his recovery.
Although his condition had improved at one point, enough for him to travel back to Rwanda, his health later declined, prompting his return to Germany for further care, where he eventually died.
Born Mitali Raphael in 1969 (though official documents list 1964, a date he reportedly altered to join the military), Natty Dread was born in Uganda, where his parents had taken refuge.
When he was three, his family relocated to Kenya, where he later met Israeli family friends who introduced him to connections in Jamaica, eventually leading him to meet Bob Marley.
Holding Israeli citizenship, Natty Dread is best known for his hit song “Hobe Rwanda”, which remains popular among Rwandan music lovers. He is survived by seven children from four different women.
Natty Dread holds a significant place in Rwanda’s post-genocide cultural history, being the first international artist to perform in the country after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. He shared the stage with Cedella Booker, Bob Marley’s mother, during a historic concert in 1996.
