25.03.2014
25.03.2014
(poem written by Johnny Clegg and recited at the `CAPE TOWN MEMORIAL DAY 11, Cape Town stadium 11 TH DECEMBER 2013 http://www.johnnyclegg.com/)
Izinyoni ezimbili ezindiza phezulu
kanti amagwababa
akhuza instumanistumani
umhlol'englehlela
athi abone inkunzi emnyama yaseQunu
eboshiwe esibayeni sabelungu for 27 years ..
athi ayibona lenhunzi iyaqwanda , iyanikinika ikhanda
iyabodla ithi :" sincane lesi isibaya , ngoba esami isibaya siwumhlaba wonke
jikelele!
manini bantu bakithi, ngoba ngiyeza…."
nangempela wahluleka uDF Malan , wahluleka uVerwoerd, wahluleka uJohn Voster ,
Wahluleka uPW Botha
wazewathamba uFW De Klerk wathi ;" Sangathi baya phunyuka bemphethe lenkunzi
ngoba noma uzoqamuka ngapha uzodibana nendoda , noma uzoqamuka ngapha
uzohlanagana nendoda , noma uzoqamuka
ngalena uzonyathela phezukwendoda"
sisho wena Madiba !!
ingane kaGadla
indodana kaPhakanyiswa
iphupho elihle elika Ngubencguka
bayajabula Abathembu
ngoba bazele ipompi elinganasivalo
lokhu ligeleza umoya ka-freedom
lithi: "how can you be free if I am not free and how can I be free if you are
not free?"
uphondo olukhulu olugwaza isibahabaha sezulu
khona lizophuma ilanga libakhanyisele laba abamhlophe
abahlezi emyameni
okwezindaba ezixoxwa ePalamende
zisadinga wena Madiba
ngoba uyakhuluma, uyabulabula, uya-buwa, uya-praata , uyathetha 'macala
abanikazi be-English bayadumala ngoba uyabahlula ngolimi lwakubo
bazebabamba umlomo , bebamba ongaphansi ngoba ongaphezulu kunezindenda
namafininyilo
ukhamba olukhulu olugcwele inhleko nomusa
umgqomo onganankitsho
indebe yabaThembu
uma uthi ayphuza uzothola
amanzi amtoti woxolo
translation:
(this poem is written within the classic tradition of Zulu praise poetry
and some phrases use exclusive idioms that cannot be precisely translated. I
have tried my best !)
two birds flying in the sky
whereas they were crows
and they were struck by the portentous
event they saw below
they said they saw a black bull from Qunu ( Mandela's birthplace)
trapped in the cattle enclosure of the White People for 27 years
they say they saw the bull pawing the ground, shaking its head from side to side,
and bellowing " this enclosure is too small for me , for my true enclosure is
the entire world ,
wait for me my people for I am coming …"
and indeed , DF Malan failed, Verwoerd failed, John Vorster failed, Pw Botha
failed until FW De Klerk
softened and said " It is clear that this bull breaks those who think they are
in charge of it
because if you were to appear from here, you would discover a Man , and if you
were to appear from over there
you would still discover a Man , and if you were to appear from far yonder, you
would have stepped on a Man!" (i.e. you will find him a man , from any direction
and any perspective - always the same, true to his warrior nature and therefore
also trustworthy)
we praise YOU Madiba
child of Gadla (Mandela's father's name)
son of Mphakanyiswa( Mandela's father's second given name )
beautiful dream of Ngubengcuka ( Mandela's great , great , great grandfather ,
king of the Tembu Tribe)
Happy are the Tembu
for they have sired a faucet
that cannot be closed
it (the faucet) says: "how can you be free if I am not free and how can I be
free if you are not free?"
that constantly pours out the spirit of freedom
great horn that stabs the sky
so that the sun can appear and give light
to those white people still sitting in the darkness
of the matters that are discussed in Parliament
they are still in need of you
because you speak in all languages and preside over all deep issues
the owners of the english language are overwhelmed that you can use the language
with such facility
they are so amazed that they grab their bottom lip because the top lip is too
close to the mucous membrane
great clay pot full of laughter and kindness
great barrel that has no handles
drinking cup of the Tembu
such that if you drank it
you would find the sweet waters of forgiveness .
hamba kahle Tata
My family and I send our condolences to all the Mandela family members on the
passing of Tata.
We also share with every South African as well as the global community our sense
of loss and sadness at his passing.
Nelson Mandela will always define a deep part of what and who we are as
individuals and as a nation. It is difficult to separate the great journey to
secure a democratic and non-racial South Africa from his personal qualities and
character. For all South Africans he was the face and form of that voyage,
particularly in the crucial decade of 1990 – 2000.
In the defining and tempestuous years of 1990 through to April 27th 1994, his
leadership was never overwhelmed by events, even in the darkest hours of
Boipatong, the assassination of Chris Hani and other atrocities that were meant
to derail the negotiations . When at times we felt doubt or fear, his strong
resonant voice rolled out over the radio or TV and, like a tide going out, our
reservations about the future receded.
We took immense nourishment and succor from his fearless and positive attitude.
His charismatic openness, straight aim, sense of humour , direct but respectful
communication with his opponents was a singularly rare quality in an environment
of racist and right wing demagoguery. A turmoiled South Africa needed to feel
that the Ship of State, riding the storm, was in good hands and Madiba never
gave us cause to doubt that the storm would pass and the country would be free.
It is the qualities of tolerance and forgiveness however which stand out as his
lasting legacy as well as the way he used these to unite the country both during
and after his presidency.
With all our fellow south Africans we acknowledge with deep gratitude the debt
we owe to this humble and great statesman from Qunu, who bequeathed to us this
great country of promise. Today, although we grieve, we also proudly rejoice in
his remarkable life, which we were privileged to share through extraordinary
times.
Hamba Kahle Tata!
Johnny Clegg and Family
Originally published on Fri December 6, 2013 9:49 am - Listen 3:17 Transcript http://apr.org/post/songwriter-clegg-mandela-south-africans-bridge
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ASIMBONANGA")
RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
We're hearing a song that was popular in South Africa in the 1980s, popular even
though it was banned. The song was called "Asimbonanga," which means "We Have
Not Seen Him." He was Nelson Mandela, who by then had been in prison for more
than two decades. This morning we reached the writer of that song, Johnny Clegg,
in South Africa.
JOHNNY CLEGG: I am part of the generation that grew up never knowing Nelson
Mandela. We were not allowed to see his likeness or mention him or carry a
photograph. That would get you four years in jail.
MONTAGNE: Johnny Clegg is white. For many years he performed in a racially mixed
band, though that was illegal under South African apartheid laws. He says the
song came to him one morning when he awoke to the sound of gunshots - one of the
signs of social unrest.
CLEGG: I began writing this song. It started off really as a song about my
feeling very down and hopeless. And then while I was writing I thought, well,
who can actually cross these dirty waters? Who's person who can bridge you and
me, every South African? And when it came down to it, it was Mandela. So I used
his name. I thought this is what we really are looking for.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ASIMBONANGA")
CLEGG: (singing) We are all islands till comes the day we cross the burning
water.
MONTAGNE: With his reference to islands, Johnny Clegg was playing off a famous
line by the poet John Donne: No man is an island.
CLEGG: And I thought Mandela is on Robben Island and as long as he is on the
island, we are all islands here on the mainland. And in order to basically set
ourselves free, we have to free him.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
The song became an anthem for many of Mandela's supporters, and years later
Mandela came out on stage to dance with Johnny Clegg.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
NELSON MANDELA: Where there enters music and dancing, that makes me at peace
with the world.
CLEGG: He was somebody who made you feel that what you were saying was important
and he always waited for you to finish speaking and he asked very interesting
questions. He didn't ask questions where you felt that he was just trying to
engage in conversation. He would try and extract some information about whatever
topic you were discussing.
MONTAGNE: The memories of Johnny Clegg, who wrote the song "We Have Not Seen Him,"
about Nelson Mandela, and finally did see him walk free.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ASIMBONANGA")
MONTAGNE: It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne.
INSKEEP: And I'm Steve Inskeep. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
Johnny Clegg wird in seiner Heimat Südafrika "der weiße Zulu" genannt. Weil er die Sprache der Zulus lernte und darin seine Lieder verfasste. Weil er schon früh gemeinsam mit dem schwarzen Musiker Sipho Mchunu auftrat, obwohl die Apartheid-Gesetze das eigentlich verboten.
Und aus einem weiteren Grund: In einem seiner berühmtesten Lieder, "Asimbonanga" , forderte der in Südafrika äußerst populäre Johnny Clegg offen die Freilassung Mandelas. Er war 1987 einer der ersten südafrikanischen Künstler, der es wagte, sich so offensiv mit dem Apartheids-Regime anzulegen. Asimbonanga wird prompt von der südafrikanischen Regierung verboten, aber nichtsdestotrotz ein großer Hit in der Bevölkerung.
Mandela war damals schon seit vielen Jahren auf der Gefängnis-Insel Robben Island interniert. 1990 wurde er dann freigelassen.
Viele Jahre später, bei einem Konzert in Frankfurt, wird sich Nelson Mandela auf ganz besondere Weise bedanken. Mandela kommt Clegg auf die Bühne und tanzt. Warum denn keiner tanze, fragt Mandela dann. "Lasst uns das Lied noch einmal spielen!" Überwältigend sei das gewesen, hat Johnny Clegg einmal der "Deutschen Welle" erzählt. Einer der großartigsten Augenblicke in seinem Leben. Sehen Sie hier ein Video des Auftritts.
In Südafrika wird er wie ein Heiliger verehrt: Nelson Mandela, der im Alter von 95 Jahren verstorben ist. Der Freiheitskämpfer und die Anti-Apartheidbewegung werden in vielen Musikwerken gefeiert.
......
"Free Nelson Mandela!"
Johnny Clegg wird oft als "Weißer Zulu" tituliert
"Asimbonanga: Wir haben ihn nicht gesehen!" sangen Johnny Clegg und seine Band Savuka folgerichtig in den nächsten Jahren - und zwar auf Zulu, der Sprache vieler Townships. Die Rede war natürlich von Nelson Mandela. Clegg, der in Johannesburg aufgewachsene Sohn eines Briten und einer Rhodesierin, verehrte den schwarzen Anführer. Und Musik war seine Waffe gegen die Apartheid.
Seine Band bestand aus drei weißen und drei schwarzen Musikern, ein Affront gegen das rassistische Regime, das öffentliche Auftritte immer wieder verbot und die Band mehr als einmal hinter Gitter brachte. Trotzdem durfte Johnny Clegg 1988 nicht am Konzert zu Mandelas 70. Geburtstag im Londoner Wembley Stadion teilnehmen, denn die Musikwelt boykottierte das Apartheidregime und somit alle, die aus Südafrika kamen. Dafür brachte das hochkarätig besetzte Konzert die englische Band The Special AKA mit dem Lied "Free Nelson Mandela!" in die internationalen Charts.
at Mandela Day 2009 from Radio City Music Hall