SOUTH Africa’s White Zulu is ready to share his unique brand of music with East London audiences again following a two-month tour through the United States.
Johnny Clegg will perform in the city at two sold-out shows as part of his highly acclaimed Best, Live and Unplugged tour.
Speaking to the Saturday Dispatch ahead of the shows, Clegg said the tour was the biggest he had undertaken in many years and had received a positive response from audiences. He was in the US for just over two months where he did more than 40 shows.
“In total over 30000 people came to my shows and it was nice and I also got a chance to grow my audience,” he said.
The 60-year-old singer started making a name for himself during the 1960s when he developed an interest in Zulu music and dance.
His curiosity in other cultures saw him become a cross-over musician. “I mix Zulu with English, Shangaan, Southern Sotho, and I take many different African components and create a musical dialogue with them,” he said.
He went on to form Juluka – the first prominent racially mixed band in South Africa with Zulu musician Sipho Mchunu. The band’s music was politically inspired and celebrated African cultures. Clegg later formed Savuka, another band that blended African and English music. The band recorded songs like Asimbonanga which called for the release of the late Nelson Mandela.
Clegg said while the political landscape in the country had changed since those days, his music was still motivated by creating cultural conversations.
“Democracy tries to promote diversity and cultural pluralism but a lot of people still stick to their culture, speak their own language and listen to their own music,” he said.
“We were not allowed to have these cultural conversations during apartheid, that is why Juluka was a breakthrough.”
Clegg said it was important that people could laugh together at one another’s cultures and traits “and enjoy the strengths and weakness of the way we understand the world”.
As South Africa is still a young democracy, he said the country had a lot to learn. “We need to know what makes us different and what makes us the same, because it’s the things we have in common that makes us South African.”
Having performed in East London on a number of occasions in the past, Clegg said some of his fondest memories were of doing shows at the Orient Theatre during that time.
Age, he said, prevented him from dancing on stage like he did 20 years ago, but he promised concert goers a show to remember.
Clegg is performing at The Venue@Hemingways next Tuesday and Wednesday. Both shows are sold out. — poliswap@dispatch.co.za
‘White Zulu’ vows to wow EL shows
Johnny Clegg will perform in the city at two sold-out shows as part of his highly acclaimed Best, Live and Unplugged tour.
Speaking to the Saturday Dispatch ahead of the shows, Clegg said the tour was the biggest he had undertaken in many years and had received a positive response from audiences. He was in the US for just over two months where he did more than 40 shows.
“In total over 30000 people came to my shows and it was nice and I also got a chance to grow my audience,” he said.
The 60-year-old singer started making a name for himself during the 1960s when he developed an interest in Zulu music and dance.
His curiosity in other cultures saw him become a cross-over musician. “I mix Zulu with English, Shangaan, Southern Sotho, and I take many different African components and create a musical dialogue with them,” he said.
He went on to form Juluka – the first prominent racially mixed band in South Africa with Zulu musician Sipho Mchunu. The band’s music was politically inspired and celebrated African cultures. Clegg later formed Savuka, another band that blended African and English music. The band recorded songs like Asimbonanga which called for the release of the late Nelson Mandela.
Clegg said while the political landscape in the country had changed since those days, his music was still motivated by creating cultural conversations.
“Democracy tries to promote diversity and cultural pluralism but a lot of people still stick to their culture, speak their own language and listen to their own music,” he said.
“We were not allowed to have these cultural conversations during apartheid, that is why Juluka was a breakthrough.”
Clegg said it was important that people could laugh together at one another’s cultures and traits “and enjoy the strengths and weakness of the way we understand the world”.
As South Africa is still a young democracy, he said the country had a lot to learn. “We need to know what makes us different and what makes us the same, because it’s the things we have in common that makes us South African.”
Having performed in East London on a number of occasions in the past, Clegg said some of his fondest memories were of doing shows at the Orient Theatre during that time.
Age, he said, prevented him from dancing on stage like he did 20 years ago, but he promised concert goers a show to remember.
Clegg is performing at The Venue@Hemingways next Tuesday and Wednesday. Both shows are sold out. — poliswap@dispatch.co.za
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