Johnny Clegg

ohnny Clegg is one of South Africa’s most celebrated sons. He is a singer, a songwriter, a dancer, anthropologist and a musical activist whose infectious crossover music, a vibrant blend of Western pop and African Zulu rhythms, has exploded onto the international scene and broken through all the barriers in his own country. In France, where he enjoys a massive following, he is fondly called Le Zulu Blanc – the white Zulu.

Over three decades, Johnny Clegg has sold over five million albums of his brand of crossover music worldwide. He has wowed vast audiences with his audacious live shows and won a number of national and international awards for his music and for his outspoken views on apartheid, his perspectives on migrant workers in South Africa and the general situation in the world today. Johnny Clegg’s history is as bold, colourful and dashing as the rainbow country which he has called home for more than 40 years.

Hilton went on to produce all of Juluka’s albums as well as all of Savuka’s albums. He continues to promote all their work today as their publisher. Johnny and Sipho called their new band JULUKA which means “sweat” in Zulu. Their music was subjected to censorship and internal restrictions on the state-owned radio and their only way to access an audience was through touring. This brought them into conflict with Group Areas Act which enforced the geographical separation of race groups and their cultural facilities.

We are going to present you a son in particular : ASIMBONANGA

It released in 1987 and inperted by Johnny Clegg and his group Savuka. His lyrics politically committed, especially for Souh Africa of period, is dedicated to Nelson Mandela, the imprisoned on the island ok Robben Island off the Cape, and explicitly makes a reference to it. Asimbonanga is a Hymn at the liberation of South African Nelson Mandela, iconic figure of the fight anti-apartheid, political prisoner form 1964 till 1990, that is 26 years ! The title and the tune are sung in the langage Zulu and verses in English, particulary provocative act in the time of the apartheid, especially on behalf of a multiracial group, made of whites and blacks.

We chose it because it is the song which affects us. Johnny Clegg was white while he fought for the blacks. This song is symbole, we cannot speak any more about Mandela without associating him this song . Johnny Clegg was door word for the peace of South Africa. It is thanks to people as him whom things changed and whom can import our skin color we let us be equal.

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