Over the past few days, I continued to be fascinated by the career of Johnny Clegg. In my view Johnny Clegg is one of the giants of South African history. I again commend to you the Wikipedia article on Johnny Clegg
However, I also strongly advise that you view his Youtube video of Asimbonanga, a song Johnny Clegg composed and performed in tribute to Nelson Mandela and, in which, the Great Mandela appears and dances to the song about himself.
However, the song that has been embedded in my mind for the past few days is The Crossing, a song that Johnny Clegg composed and sang in tribute to Dudu Zulu, his long-time bandmate who was shot and killed attempting to mediate a taxi war in 1992. Here is Johnny Clegg singing the song on his own.
Twenty-five years later, as Clegg was in his final battle with pancreatic cancer, a group of some fifty all-star singers gathered to sing The Crossing in tribute to Johnny Clegg. In viewing the video, you might see Peter Gabriel or Dave Mathews, but my eyes focused on the diminutive Zolani Mahola, of Freshlyground fame. However, whoever may catch your eye, each singer gives a spirited performance.
This song has been in my soul for the last four days. It is an earworm which I cannot seem to escape. Apparently, this song has also become somewhat of a resounding theme song for the young people of South Africa who are striving to create a rainbow nation. See how these DHL employees sing the song
I do not know if I will ever make it back to Amherst to perform my Memorial Service. However, if I do, I plan on bringing The Crossing Osiyeza with me.
South African township music is a vibrant, hybrid musical tradition born in the townships under apartheid, blending African rhythms, jazz, and local cultural expression.
Origins and Historical Context
Township music emerged in the 20th century within South Africa’s racially segregated urban areas, known as townships, which were created under apartheid to house black South Africans in poor, overcrowded conditions ( Wikipedia). These communities, despite systemic oppression, became hubs of cultural creativity. Early forms of township music, such as marabi, developed in the 1920s and 1930s in Johannesburg’s shebeens (illegal bars), combining African rhythms with missionary hymns and jazz influences ( lovetovisitsouthafrica.com+1). Marabi was characterized by hypnotic, cyclical piano patterns that kept communities dancing and socially connected.
Key Genres
Marabi: The foundational style, jazz-influenced, piano-driven, and repetitive, designed to sustain long dancing sessions in shebeens ( lovetovisitsouthafrica.com+1).
Kwela: Developed in the 1950s, kwela is pennywhistle-based street music with lively, danceable melodies. Its name means “get up” in Zulu and Sotho, reflecting both joy and the need to evade police ( lovetovisitsouthafrica.com+1).
Mbaqanga: Evolving from marabi and American jazz, mbaqanga incorporates Zulu musical traditions and became the dominant township sound in the later 20th century ( Wikipedia).
Cultural Significance
Township music was more than entertainment; it was a form of resistance and social cohesion. Musicians expressed the struggles of apartheid, the longing for freedom, and the resilience of their communities ( Wikipedia+1). The music often integrated polyrhythms, call-and-response vocals, and a mix of traditional and Western instruments, reflecting the diverse cultural backgrounds of township residents ( hubpages.com).
Notable Artists
Prominent figures in township music include:
Hugh Masekela – jazz trumpeter and composer
Miriam Makeba – singer and civil rights activist
Brenda Fassie – pop and township-style music icon
Lucky Dube – reggae and township-influenced music
Juluka – band blending Zulu music with Western styles ( hubpages.com)
Contemporary Influence
Township music continues to influence modern South African genres, including house, kwaito, and Afro-pop. Its legacy is evident in the global recognition of South African music, where the fusion of rhythm, melody, and social commentary remains central ( YouTube+1). Township music represents a unique cultural expression born from adversity, combining historical, social, and musical elements that continue to shape South Africa’s vibrant music scene today.
Johnny Clegg (born June 7, 1953, Bacup, near Rochdale, England—died July 16, 2019, Johannesburg, South Africa) was a South African musician, popularly called the “White Zulu.” His innovative, ethnically integrated musical collaborations in the late 20th century constituted a powerful statement against apartheid, the enforced separation of Black and white peoples and traditions in South Africa.
Although born in England, Clegg was raised in southern Africa. When he was a small child, he moved with his mother to her homeland, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), where she met and married a South African journalist. The family then moved to Johannesburg. Clegg’s home environment was both musical and politically liberal; his stepfather was an anti-apartheid crime reporter with a serious interest in Black African culture, and his mother was a cabaret singer. As a young adult, Clegg studied anthropology at the University of the Witwatersrand, and, after receiving a master’s degree, he taught at the institution for several years. During his time at the university, he was able to cultivate both his academic and his practical involvement with the arts and culture of the local Zulu population. In the 1970s he left his teaching position to focus on musical pursuits, with the ultimate aim of creating a blend of white and Black South African artistic traditions.
Clegg subsequently developed a friendship with Sipho Mchunu, a Zulu migrant worker and street musician in Johannesburg. From Mchunu, Clegg learned the Zulu language and traditional music, as well as the vibrant dance styles that later became a regular feature of his performances. Clegg and Mchunu performed as a duo for a few years before they assembled a band called Juluka (Zulu: “Sweat”). In 1979 Juluka released Universal Men, an album that spoke to the divided lives of the migrant workers who reside and work in the city, separated from their families and homes. Stylistically, the album was a fusion of Zulu music and various European traditions. Later albums were similarly blended. Ubuhle Bemvelo (1982), the group’s third album, was performed entirely in Zulu.
During the early 1980s Juluka gained not only a strong local audience but also an enthusiastic international following, particularly in France, where Clegg fondly was labeled “Le Zoulou Blanc” (“The White Zulu”). Juluka’s success was an especially significant achievement during the apartheid era, when music that was performed by mixed (Black and white) bands or that blended Black and white styles was barred from South African radio. Juluka’s music, then, circulated primarily through live performances, which, particularly in South Africa, often led to encounters with the police. The group’s appeal indeed lay as much in its innovative and engaging music as in the political statement—both explicit and implicit—it made against apartheid, a system that was increasingly condemned by the international community.
In 1985 Mchunu left Juluka and Johannesburg to return to his homeland in KwaZulu state (now KwaZulu-Natal), and Clegg formed a new group called Savuka (Zulu: “We Have Risen”). Again, the group included both Black and white South African musicians, but the music of Savuka was more noticeably influenced by such Western popular genres as rock, jazz, blues, reggae, and funk. The new band enjoyed extraordinary international success, with their album Third World Child (1987) selling hundreds of thousands of copies and Heat, Dust & Dreams (1993) receiving recognition by Billboard magazine for best world-music album in 1994. Savuka dissolved in 1993, and Clegg reunited with Mchunu to record just one album, Crocodile Love (1997).
Clegg subsequently embarked on a solo career and released a number of albums, including New World Survivor (2002), A South African Story (2003), and One Life (2007). In 2015 he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. After undergoing treatment, he released the EP King of Time in 2017. That year Clegg embarked on a global farewell tour, called the Final Journey, and the last concert was held in 2018.
After apartheid officially ended in 1994, Clegg dropped from his repertoire most of the songs that were specific to that era. He remained a musical activist, however, advocating an array of humanitarian causes, including HIV/AIDS awareness. Clegg received numerous international honours for both his music and his philanthropic work.
He first performed as part of a duo - Johnny & Sipho - with Sipho Mchunu which released its first single, "Woza Friday" in 1976. The two then went on to form the band Juluka which released its debut album in 1979. In 1986, Clegg founded the band Savuka, and also recorded as a solo act, occasionally reuniting with his earlier band partners. Sometimes called Le Zoulou Blanc (French:[lÉ™zulublÉ‘̃], for "The White Zulu"), he was an important figure in South African popular music and a prominent white figure in the resistance to apartheid,[3] becoming for a period the subject of investigation by the security branch of the South African Police.[4] His songs mixed English with Zulu lyrics, and also combined working class African music with various forms of Western popular music.[5]
Early life and career
Clegg was born on 7 June 1953 in Bacup, Lancashire,[6] to an English father of Scottish descent, Dennis Clegg, and a Rhodesian mother, Muriel (Braudo).[7][8] Clegg's mother's family were Jewish immigrants from Belarus and Poland and Clegg had a secular Jewish upbringing, learning about the Ten Commandments but refusing to have a bar mitzvah - until later in life, when he became a father and decided to have a "double" bar mitzvah with his son Jesse.[9] He moved with his mother to Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) at age 6 months, and his parents divorced soon afterwards. At age six, he moved to South Africa with his mother,[10] also spending part of a year in Israel during his childhood.[11]
He grew up in Yeoville, then a predominantly Jewish inner city neighbourhood of Johannesburg[12] and encountered the demi-monde of the city's Zulu migrant workers' music and dance. Under the tutelage of Charlie Mzila, a flat cleaner by day and musician by night, Clegg mastered both the Zulu language and the maskandi guitar and the isishameni dance styles of the migrants.[13] Clegg's involvement with black musicians often led to arrests for trespassing on government property and for contravening the Group Areas Act. He was first arrested at the age of 15 for violating apartheid-era laws in South Africa banning people of different races from congregating together after curfew hours.[14]
At the age of 16, he met Sipho Mchunu, a Zulu migrant worker with whom he began performing music.[10] The partnership, which they named Juluka, began in 1969,[15] and was profiled in the 1970s television documentary Beats of the Heart: Rhythm of Resistance.[16]
He preceded each song with snippets of Zulu culture, information, commentary, humor and personal anecdotes relevant and unique to that song,[13] occasionally also incorporating aspects of his Jewish roots in songs such as "Jericho", "Jarusalema" and "Warsaw 1943".[11]
Juluka
Juluka was an unusual musical partnership for the time in South Africa, with a white man (Clegg) and a black man (Mchunu) performing together. The band, which grew to a six-member group (with three white musicians and three black musicians) by the time it released its first album Universal Men in 1979, faced harassment and censorship, with Clegg later remarking that it was "impossible" to perform in public in South Africa.[19] The group tested the apartheid-era laws, touring and performing in private venues, including universities, churches, hostels, and even private homes in order to attract an audience, as national broadcasters would not play their music.[6]
Just as unusually, the band's music combined Zulu, Celtic, and rock elements, with both English and Zulu lyrics.[19] Those lyrics often contained coded political messages and references to the battle against apartheid,[20] although Clegg maintained that Juluka was not originally intended to be a political band. "Politics found us," he told The Baltimore Sun in 1996.[19] In a 1989 interview with the Sunday Times, Clegg denied the label of "political activist." "For me a political activist is someone who has committed himself to a particular ideology. I don't belong to any political party. I stand for human rights."[21]
Juluka's music was both implicitly and explicitly political; not only was the fact of the success of the band (which openly celebrated African culture in a bi-racial band) a thorn in the flesh of a political system based on racial separation, the band also produced some explicitly political songs. For example, the album Work for All (which includes a song with the same title) picked up on South African trade union slogans in the mid-1980s.[22] As a result of their political messages and racial integration, Clegg and other band members were arrested several times and concerts routinely broken up.[23]
Despite being ignored and often harassed by the South African government at home, Juluka were able to tour internationally, playing in Europe, Canada, and the United States,[6] and had two platinum and five gold albums,[19] becoming an international success. The group was disbanded in 1985, when Mchunu retired from music and went back to his family farm to return to his people's traditional life of raising cattle.[15] It was briefly reconstituted when Mchunu and Clegg reunited in the mid-1990s, releasing one final album in 1997 before breaking up for good.[3]
Savuka
Clegg in 1992
Together with the black musician and dancer Dudu Zulu, Clegg went on to form his second inter-racial band, Savuka, in 1986, continuing to blend African music with European influences.[10][14][19] The group's first album, Third World Child, broke international sales records in several European countries, including France.[24] The band went on to record several more albums, including Heat, Dust and Dreams, which received a Grammy Award nomination.[25] Johnny Clegg and Savuka played both at home and abroad, even though Clegg's refusal to stop performing in apartheid-era South Africa created tensions with the international anti-apartheid movement. Despite his high-profile (and personally hazardous) opposition to the South African regime, this led to Clegg's expulsion from the British Musicians' Union,[10] in what one writer has since called "a fit of pique".[5] In one instance, the band drew such a large crowd in Lyon that Michael Jackson cancelled a concert there, complaining that Clegg and his group had "stole[n] all his fans".[26] In 1993, the band dissolved after Dudu Zulu was shot and killed while attempting to mediate a taxi war.[14][17][19]
During one concert in 1999, he was joined on stage by South African President Nelson Mandela, who danced as Johnny Clegg sang the protest song "Asimbonanga" that Savuka had dedicated to Mandela. Asimbonanga became an anthem of protest for the Mass Democratic Movement's umbrella organisation, the United Democratic Front. During Mandela's illness and death in 2013, the video of the concert attracted considerable media attention outside South Africa.[17][28]
His touring schedule was abbreviated in 2017 after he underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer, and Clegg performed his last concert in Harare, Zimbabwe on 3 November 2018.[6][17]
Clegg on stage in 2013
.
In popular culture
Clegg's song "Scatterlings of Africa" gave him his only entries in the UK Singles Chart, reaching No. 44 in February 1983 with Juluka and No. 75 in May 1987 as Johnny Clegg and Savuka. The following year the song was featured on the soundtrack to the 1988 Oscar-winning film Rain Man.[29]
2012: received the Order of Ikhamanga, Silver as part of the National Orders ceremony. This award is the highest honour a citizen can receive in South Africa. It was presented by President Jacob Zuma.[32][36]
2012: received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA.[37]
2018: received an Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy Degree in Visual and Performing Arts from the Durban University of Technology alongside his Juluka bandmate, Sipho Mchunu.[42]
Illness and death
Johnny Clegg was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2015,[43] which ultimately led to his death on 16 July 2019. He died in his Johannesburg home surrounded by loved ones and was laid to rest the following day in Westpark Cemetery in Johannesburg.[44][45] Clegg was survived by his wife, Jenny, and his two sons, Jesse (also a musician)[46] and Jaron.
In 2018, during Clegg's illness, over 50 South African musicians collaborated to record Clegg's song "The Crossing" as a tribute to Clegg and his contribution to South African music.[47] The song was originally written by Clegg in memory of bandmate Dudu Zulu who was killed in 1992, and refers to the crossing from life to death.[48]
Works
Academic publications
Clegg, Jonathan (1981). "Ukubuyisa Isidumbu – "Bringing back the body": An examination into the ideology of vengeance in the Msinga and Mpofana rural locations (1882–1944)". In Bonner, P. (ed.). Working Papers in Southern African Studies. Vol.2. Johannesburg: Ravan Press (in association with The African Studies Institute). pp.164–198. ISBN0854946446. OCLC243478214.
Clegg, Jonathan (1982). Tracey, Andrew (ed.). "Towards an understanding of African Dance: The Zulu Isishameni Style". Papers Read at Second Symposium on Ethnomusicology, 24–26 September 1981, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa. Grahamstown: Institute of Social and Economic Research.
Clegg, Jonathan (1984). "Examination of the Umzansi dance style". In Tracey, Andrew (ed.). Papers presented at the Third and Fourth symposia on Ethnomusicology: Music Department, University of Natal, Durban, 16 to 19 September 1982; Music Department, Rhodes University, 7 to 8 October 1983. Grahamstown: Institute of Social and Economic Research. ISBN086810096X. OCLC13658380.
"Johnny Clegg (1953–2019)". Johannesburg: University of the Witwatersrand. 18 July 2019. Archived from the original on 18 July 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
Chris Austin (Director and Producer) (2000). Rhythm of Resistance: Black South African Music (DVD). Newton, NJ: Shanachie Entertainment. OCLC45598049. (Originally released in 1979).
Drewett, Michael (2004). "Reinventing Subversion: Resisting Censorship in Apartheid South Africa". In Korpe, Marie (ed.). Shoot the Singer!: Music Censorship Today. London/New York: Zed Books. p.89. ISBN1842775057.
Allan, Jani. Vive le Zoulou Blanc! That’s how the French laud Johnny and make him top of their pops. Sunday Times (South Africa). 3 July 1988
Over the past few days, I continued to be fascinated by the career of Johnny Clegg. In my view Johnny Clegg is one of the giants of South African history. I again commend to you the Wikipedia article on Johnny Clegg
However, I also strongly advise that you view his Youtube video of Asimbonanga, a song Johnny Clegg composed and performed in tribute to Nelson Mandela and, in which, the Great Mandela appears and dances to the song about himself.
However, the song that has been embedded in my mind for the past few days is The Crossing, a song that Johnny Clegg composed and sang in tribute to Dudu Zulu, his long-time bandmate who was shot and killed attempting to mediate a taxi war in 1992. Here is Johnny Clegg singing the song on his own.
Twenty-five years later, as Clegg was in his final battle with pancreatic cancer, a group of some fifty all-star singers gathered to sing The Crossing in tribute to Johnny Clegg. In viewing the video, you might see Peter Gabriel or Dave Mathews, but my eyes focused on the diminutive Zolani Mahola, of Freshlyground fame. However, whoever may catch your eye, each singer gives a spirited performance.
This song has been in my soul for the last four days. It is an earworm which I cannot seem to escape. Apparently, this song has also become somewhat of a resounding theme song for the young people of South Africa who are striving to create a rainbow nation. See how these DHL employees sing the song
I do not know if I will ever make it back to Amherst to perform my Memorial Service. However, if I do, I plan on bringing The Crossing Osiyeza with me.
South African township music is a vibrant, hybrid musical tradition born in the townships under apartheid, blending African rhythms, jazz, and local cultural expression.
Origins and Historical Context
Township music emerged in the 20th century within South Africa’s racially segregated urban areas, known as townships, which were created under apartheid to house black South Africans in poor, overcrowded conditions ( Wikipedia). These communities, despite systemic oppression, became hubs of cultural creativity. Early forms of township music, such as marabi, developed in the 1920s and 1930s in Johannesburg’s shebeens (illegal bars), combining African rhythms with missionary hymns and jazz influences ( lovetovisitsouthafrica.com+1). Marabi was characterized by hypnotic, cyclical piano patterns that kept communities dancing and socially connected.
Key Genres
Marabi: The foundational style, jazz-influenced, piano-driven, and repetitive, designed to sustain long dancing sessions in shebeens ( lovetovisitsouthafrica.com+1).
Kwela: Developed in the 1950s, kwela is pennywhistle-based street music with lively, danceable melodies. Its name means “get up” in Zulu and Sotho, reflecting both joy and the need to evade police ( lovetovisitsouthafrica.com+1).
Mbaqanga: Evolving from marabi and American jazz, mbaqanga incorporates Zulu musical traditions and became the dominant township sound in the later 20th century ( Wikipedia).
Cultural Significance
Township music was more than entertainment; it was a form of resistance and social cohesion. Musicians expressed the struggles of apartheid, the longing for freedom, and the resilience of their communities ( Wikipedia+1). The music often integrated polyrhythms, call-and-response vocals, and a mix of traditional and Western instruments, reflecting the diverse cultural backgrounds of township residents ( hubpages.com).
Notable Artists
Prominent figures in township music include:
Hugh Masekela – jazz trumpeter and composer
Miriam Makeba – singer and civil rights activist
Brenda Fassie – pop and township-style music icon
Lucky Dube – reggae and township-influenced music
Juluka – band blending Zulu music with Western styles ( hubpages.com)
Contemporary Influence
Township music continues to influence modern South African genres, including house, kwaito, and Afro-pop. Its legacy is evident in the global recognition of South African music, where the fusion of rhythm, melody, and social commentary remains central ( YouTube+1). Township music represents a unique cultural expression born from adversity, combining historical, social, and musical elements that continue to shape South Africa’s vibrant music scene today.
South African township music is a vibrant, hybrid musical tradition born in the townships under apartheid, blending African rhythms, jazz, and local cultural expression.
Origins and Historical Context
Township music emerged in the20th centurywithin South Africa’s racially segregated urban areas, known as townships, which were created under apartheid to house black South Africans in poor, overcrowded conditions ( Wikipedia). These communities, despite systemic oppression, became hubs of cultural creativity. Early forms of township music, such asmarabi, developed in the 1920s and 1930s in Johannesburg’s shebeens (illegal bars), combining African rhythms with missionary hymns and jazz influences ( lovetovisitsouthafrica.com+1). Marabi was characterized byhypnotic, cyclical piano patternsthat kept communities dancing and socially connected.
Key Genres
Marabi: The foundational style, jazz-influenced, piano-driven, and repetitive, designed to sustain long dancing sessions in shebeens ( lovetovisitsouthafrica.com+1).
Kwela: Developed in the 1950s, kwela ispennywhistle-based street musicwith lively, danceable melodies. Its name means “get up” in Zulu and Sotho, reflecting both joy and the need to evade police ( lovetovisitsouthafrica.com+1).
Mbaqanga: Evolving from marabi and American jazz, mbaqanga incorporatesZulu musical traditionsand became the dominant township sound in the later 20th century ( Wikipedia).
Cultural Significance
Township music was more than entertainment; it was aform of resistance and social cohesion. Musicians expressed the struggles of apartheid, the longing for freedom, and the resilience of their communities ( Wikipedia+1). The music often integratedpolyrhythms, call-and-response vocals, and a mix of traditional and Western instruments, reflecting the diverse cultural backgrounds of township residents ( hubpages.com).
Notable Artists
Prominent figures in township music include:
Hugh Masekela– jazz trumpeter and composer
Miriam Makeba– singer and civil rights activist
Brenda Fassie– pop and township-style music icon
Lucky Dube– reggae and township-influenced music
Juluka– band blending Zulu music with Western styles ( hubpages.com)
Contemporary Influence
Township music continues to influencemodern South African genres, including house, kwaito, and Afro-pop. Its legacy is evident in the global recognition of South African music, where thefusion of rhythm, melody, and social commentaryremains central ( YouTube+1). Township music represents aunique cultural expression born from adversity, combining historical, social, and musical elements that continue to shape South Africa’s vibrant music scene today.
lovetovisitsouthafrica.com+1).
Wikipedia).
hubpages.com)
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