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Love Made Me Do It

Love Made Me Do It

Author: By Kasia Yoko
Date: 2026-04-30

Book Launch:

There are evenings in Durban when the world feels smaller, softer, and somehow more meaningful. Tuesday night at Ike's Books & Collectables in Greyville was one of them.

The occasion was the launch of Umphrofethi - a deeply personal and inspired isiZulu translation of The Prophet by Khalil Gibran, brought to life by Lu Dlamini. But this was no ordinary literary event. It was a gathering shaped by emotion, memory, music, and something far more powerful than words alone: love.

Lu Dlamini spoke candidly about her journey with Gibran's work. She described how The Prophet shifted her inner landscape, how its themes did not feel foreign or distant, but intimately familiar - echoing the wisdom, struggle, and spiritual depth of her own Zulu heritage. In her voice was conviction, but also tenderness. This was not a project born from ambition, but from something far more instinctive.

"Love made me do it," she shared - a simple phrase that seemed to settle gently over the room.

That love translated itself into language, into rhythm, and ultimately into music. As Lu performed, her voice carried more than melody; it carried meaning. The songs did not merely accompany Gibran's words - they interpreted them, expanded them, and rooted them firmly in African soil. It was as if the soul of the original text had found a new home, one that resonated deeply with those gathered.

The audience, a blend of Durban's literary faithful and curious newcomers, responded in kind. There was a quiet attentiveness, a shared understanding that something rare was unfolding. Conversations flowed easily between strangers. Smiles lingered longer. The atmosphere was unmistakably warm - the kind that cannot be staged or manufactured.

At the heart of it all was Ike's Books & Collectables, once again proving itself as more than just a bookshop. Under the gracious stewardship of owner Jo Rushby, it continues to serve as a vital cultural space - a place where stories are not only sold, but celebrated. A place where people come not just to read, but to feel connected.

As the evening drew to a close, there was no rush to leave. Guests lingered, holding onto the moment just a little longer, as though stepping back into the outside world might break the spell.

In many ways, Umphrofethi is more than a translation. It is a bridge - between languages, between cultures, between past and present. But above all, it is a reminder that when something is created from a place of genuine love, it has the power to reach far beyond its origins.

And on this particular evening in Durban, that love was felt by everyone in the room.