27.05.2014
27.05.2014
The Johnny Clegg Band returns to perform on the Green (29.06.2012)
Johnny Clegg Band: Road Warriors (06.07.2012)
Johnny Clegg Band Vocalist Bongani Masuku Murdered (19.05.2014)
South African singer-songwriter and road warrior bandleader Johnny Clegg made
what is becoming an annual pass through New York City this week, selling out two
nights at the City Winery, despite the July 4 holiday. Clegg is aging well. He
burst on the international scene in 1984 with the band Juluka and the
Scatterlings album–a groundbreaking fusion of folk rock and Zulu
maskanda. In one of many engaging raps in his current show, Clegg recalls
merrily how, at that exact moment, so many around him were telling him that his
music would go nowhere. The last laugh is sweet.Juluka evolved into Savuka, and now the Johnny Clegg Band. It’s a lean, electric guitar-based, 6-piece outfit at this point. Gone are the acoustic guitar finger picking and the extended Zulu dance session. The sound is more disciplined and spare. What emerges are the songs, many of them–”Asimbonanga,” “Dela,” “I Call Your Name,” “Scatterlings”–still remarkably resonant all these years later. Clegg’s singing is better than ever. He reworks familiar melodies with ease, adding nuances, and he arranges songs so as to feature the band’s excellent vocal harmonies. When he dances with longtime backing singer Mandisa Dianga, the effect is more touching and folksy than the athletic stomp-downs of Juluka and Savuka shows, but, in its way, no less affecting.
Clegg’s 2010 release, Human, is his most recent, but with such a deep catalog to draw upon–Juluka began recording in the late 70s–Clegg can assemble a set that works as a time capsule, evoking the dark days of apartheid when Juluka was brave and controversial, as well as the solemn ecstasy of the early Mandela era, and its murky aftermath. The current show also works in a few new songs, including one about women in traditional African society. Clegg introduced the song with a riveting recount of the history of women’s suffrage around the world. New Zealand was first to let women vote. “England and America?” mused Clegg, “Not even in the top ten.”
Clegg’s
audience is fiercely loyal, and he speaks to them with humor, intelligence and
respect. You can hear a pin drop when he talks, because fans are nearly as keen
to hear him reminisce, opine, and tell stories as they are to hear him sing and
play guitar. It’s a rare connection. African music has moved on in many ways,
and Clegg’s oeuvre clearly belongs to another era. That it still comes across so
well is the mark of a tremendously committed and gifted performer who remains
deeply engaged with the world, even as he sticks to what he knows.
More Summer 2012 Clegg tour dates here.
A large crowd gathered on the Green to listen to the Johnny Clegg Band’s
musical stylings, including rock and roll, African and pop songs.
By Katie Sinclair, The Dartmouth Staff Published on Friday, June 29, 2012
http://thedartmouth.com/2012/06/29/arts/johnnyclegg/print
Taking advantage of the newly cleared skies, the College kicked off summer term
with a free concert by the Johnny Clegg Band Thursday afternoon on the Green.
Clegg, a South African activist and musician, is one of this year’s honorary
degree recipient. The concert, sponsored by the Provost’s Office, was intended
to introduce the “Year of Arts,” a celebration centered around the upcoming 50th
anniversary of the Hopkins Center.
The sunny weather and blue skies proved to be the perfect backdrop for the
concert, which featured a mix of African, pop and rock and roll musical styles.
The concert marked Clegg’s second visit to Dartmouth this month.
“If music is the food of love, yours is a veritable banquet,” College President
Jim Yong Kim said at Commencement on June 10 when he presented Clegg with an
honorary degree. “You infuse it with the rhythms of Africa and the melodies of
the West to create a unique blend that at once sustains and empowers.”
Clegg’s performance lived up to expectations, with students, Hanover residents
and through-hikers taking advantage of the free concert. Blankets and folding
chairs covered a substantial portion of the Green, and the air was dotted with
Frisbees and soccer balls as people waited for the concert to start. The concert
had a relaxed, mellow atmosphere, with many people coming and going throughout
the show.
Clegg dove right into his set, playing songs that spanned several decades of his
career. His band performed on a variety of instruments, including keyboard,
saxophone, mandolin, guitar and bass. Clegg said he was inspired by migrant
musicians of South Africa, who would take Western instruments and modify them to
fit their own playing styles.
“This is an Italian concertina that was completely taken apart and put back
together again with Zulu tuning.” Clegg said.
This melange of African and Western style was also apparent in Clegg’s lyrics,
which were a mix of Zulu and English.
The subject matter of the songs ranged from women’s rights to climate change to
miners in Johannesburg to the difficulties faced when living in a country with a
continually evolving identity.
While introducing one song celebrating the unpredictability of his homeland,
Clegg explained, “Every morning when you wake up you have to renegotiate
yourself to reality. You don’t know if the pothole’s going to be fixed or if the
boats are going to run.”
One of Clegg’s most touching songs was “Nyembezi (Tears),” which described the
hardships women face in traditional societies. Also impressive was “Digging for
Some Words,” inspired by traditional hunter-gatherer societies that still exist
in some parts of South Africa.
Besides being an accomplished musician, Clegg also devotes himself to
environmental and humanitarian causes. Clegg arrived on campus Thursday in the
early afternoon to meet with students in the environmental studies department,
many of whom will journey to Clegg’s home country as part of the environmental
studies foreign study program. Clegg is also one of the founders of African Sky,
a company that recycles e-waste and helps reduce unemployment in South Africa,
which has an official unemployment rate of 25 percent. The company hires local
labor to help dismantle and recycle printed circuit boards and other computer
components.
“It’s labor intensive. We didn’t want to use high-end technical equipment
because that takes away jobs.” Clegg said.
Although apartheid ended years ago, Clegg admits that South Africa still has
many challenges ahead.
“It’s a country of terrible extremes — extreme poverty, extreme wealth,” Clegg
said.
Many of his songs were in honor of ordinary South Africans, who must adapt to
new situations every day, he said.
“South Africa has more political refugees than any other country in the world,”
Clegg said. “They’re dealing with transformations in their own lives while at
the same time dealing with Zimbabweans, people from the Congo, from Somalia,
Uganda.”
While social upheaval, corruption and conflict do not seem like uplifting topics,
Clegg’s band played with joyful, passionate feeling. Many of the concert-goers
were on their feet and dancing to the music. Although the sound system was not
quite strong enough for the dispersed crowd, Clegg’s sang enthusiastically, and
he harmonized well with the other vocalists. At the concert’s end, the band was
summoned back with spirited applause to perform an eagerly-awaited encore.
Clegg’s vision for the future of South Africa is a generally positive one, and
despite the many challenges that the nation faces, Clegg’s music is full of
pride for his country and heritage.
“Anywhere else, it’s like being in porridge,” Clegg said. “Every day’s the same,
everything is guaranteed. I go stir crazy sometimes.” Clegg said.
http://www.dw.de/der-wei%C3%9Fe-zulu-johnny-clegg-tourt-durch-europa/a-17225857
Mit seiner Zulu-Folk-Musik wandte sich Johnny Clegg als
einer der ersten weißen Künstler gegen das Apartheidregime in Südafrika. Er
forderte die Freilassung Nelsons Mandelas, der später auf einem seiner Konzerte
tanzte.
Der südafrikanische Rockmusiker Johnny Clegg (M) und Mitglieder seiner Band
Julukka singen gemeinsam mit dem ehemaligen Präsidenten Südafrikas, Nelson
Mandela (r). (dpa/lhe)
Südafrika 1987: Auf den Straßen entladen sich Proteste gegen
die Apartheid, die Regierung hat den Ausnahmezustand verhängt. Nelson Mandela
ist seit 23 Jahren im Hochsicherheitsgefängnis. Ein weißer Musiker singt auf
Zulu: "Wir haben ihn noch nicht gesehen. Wir haben Mandela noch nicht gesehen".
"Asimbonanga" heißt das erste Lied, das offen die Freilassung Mandelas fordert.
Es wird ein Hit, der vom Apartheid-Regime verboten wird. "Es hat mich sehr
traurig gemacht, dass die Südafrikaner sich gegenseitig erschossen haben",
erinnert sich Johnny Clegg im Gespräch mit der DW. "Deshalb habe ich dieses Lied
geschrieben. Ich wollte damit sagen: Wer wird die Person sein, die uns wieder
vereinen kann? Das kann nur Mandela sein."
Elf Jahre später, bei einem Konzert in Frankfurt, wird Mandela es ihm selbst
danken: Als Johnny Clegg mit seiner Band gerade "Asimbonanga"
spielt, tanzt Mandela auf einmal höchstpersönlich auf die Bühne. Warum denn
keiner tanze, fragt er. "Lasst uns das Lied noch einmal spielen!" Überwältigend
sei das gewesen, sagt Johnny Clegg heute. Einer der großartigsten Augenblicke in
seinem Leben.
Vom Anti-Apartheidkämpfer zum Weltstar
In
seiner Heimat hat Johnny Clegg den Beinamen "der weiße Zulu". Schon mit 15
Jahren interessiert er sich für die Musik dieser südafrikanischen Ethnie. 1969
tritt er zusammen mit dem schwarzen Musiker Sipho Mchunu auf. Wegen der
Apartheidgesetze sind die Konzerte nur im kleinen Rahmen, in Kirchen oder auf
privaten Veranstaltungen möglich. Mit seiner Musik wird Johnny Clegg zum
Sprachrohr im Kampf gegen das Apartheidregime. Seine beiden Bands, Juluka und
Savuka, sind multiethnisch. Das Lied "Scatterlings" bringt sie international an
die Spitze: In Frankreich landet es sogar auf Platz eins. "Das Lied war sehr
wichtig für meine Karriere", sagt der Musiker. "Deswegen habe ich dazu eine ganz
besondere Beziehung."
Recycling als Altersabsicherung
Doch
damit nicht genug: Johnny Clegg scheint unermüdlich, er strotzt vor Energie und
Tatendrang. Neben seinen künstlerischen Aktivitäten betreibt er ein
Recycling-Unternehmen für Hausmüll und Elektroschrott. "Ich wollte in einem
Geschäftsfeld aktiv sein, in dem ich etwas gegen die Umweltverschmutzung tun
kann. Außerdem ist es eine Investition für die Zukunft, wenn ich älter bin und
nicht mehr so hoch hüpfen kann!" Ein halbes Jahr hat er in Forschung investiert:
"Wir haben eine Software entwickelt, mit der jeder nachvollziehen kann, was mit
seinen Produkten, die wir recycelt haben, passiert ist, wozu sie verarbeitet
wurden." Ob es eine Tasse geworden sei oder ein Teller: Die Menschen freue es,
zu wissen, dass ihre Sachen nicht einfach auf der Müllhalde landeten.
Aber noch ist Johnny Clegg jung genug, um auf der Bühne zu brillieren. Im Moment
tourt er durch Europa und tritt auch in Deutschland auf. Im Dezember soll dann
sein erstes Akustik-Album erscheinen, mit 14 Songs aus der langen Karriere des
Anti-Apartheidkämpfers.
Bongani Masuku, a longstanding vocalist with the hugely popular South African Johnny Clegg Band was murdered in Johannesburg, Gauteng at the weekend. The band had just returned from a 67-day tour of North America where they performed 45 shows.
Clegg (above left) posted a short notice on his website and Facebook page yesterday stating that it was “with shock, anger and deep felt sadness” that the Johnny Clegg Band was mourning the “violent killing” of their “beloved” Bongani Masuku (above right). He was “a stalwart performer” as well as being a “hardworking musician and good friend,” said Clegg.We will miss him deeply and we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and all who knew him. Johnny Clegg BandMasuku and a friend were accosted by four men after he had parked his car in Princess Street, Troyeville, a rundown suburb on the outskirts of Johannesburg’s crumbling inner city. The men demanded the car keys and a cell phone before several shots were fired, hitting Masuku in the torso. It is believed that the men then escaped the crime scene in a minibus taxi. Masuku was able to drive to the Troyville Fire Station, but collapsed and died before anything could be done to help him. His friend was not injured, and no arrests have been made.
This is the second Clegg musician to have been murdered. In May 1992 percussionist Dudu Mntowaziwayo Ndlovu, a close friend and former member of Clegg’s previous band, Savuka, was shot and killed outside his home in KwaZulu-Natal. The assassination was said to have been related to a taxi war conspiracy, but the killers were never caught. Clegg wrote The Crossing (Osiyeza), which he performs in the music video below, in memory of Ndlovu who was just 35 years old at the time of his death. Like Ndlovu, Masuku was from KwaZulu-Natal and both men were Zulus.
Clegg, who was born in Lancashire in the United Kingdom in 1953, lived in Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) with his mother, a singer, until he was seven and they moved to South Africa. His stepfather was a crime reporter who took him into the black townships during the Apartheid era, exposing him to a life many white people in the country at the time had no experience of.
Ironically, Clegg, who studied and then lectured anthropology at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, was deeply influenced by Rhodesian-born David Webster who also lectured at Wits, and who was assassinated in Troyeville in May 1989. An anti-Apartheid activist, Webster was gunned down by hit man Ferdi Barnard, who was convicted of the killing in 1998 and sentenced to life imprisonment. He is still in jail.
Known as the White Zulu, Clegg carved his own solid niche in the South African music industry, blending so-called European melodies with traditional Zulu music. Even though mixed bands were censored by local radio at the time, a passionate South African record producer, Hilton Rosenthal signed up Clegg and his Zulu songwriting and performing partner, Sipho Mchunu, and Juluka (the Zulu word for sweat) was born. In addition to the radio ban, South Africa’s notorious Group Areas Act disallowed performances in public places, and so they played at private homes, at universities, in church halls, and even in the hostels established to house migrant workers. Many of their shows were shut down, but they persisted and quickly had a substantial following, largely of migrant workers and students across the color bar. Their first album, Universal Men, released in 1979 was a musical journey that told the story of Zulu migrant workers that lived and worked in the city (primarily in the mines of Gauteng), but regularly went home to a totally different rural life in the country.
When Mchunu decided to return to his roots and farm cattle in KwaZulu-Natal (in what was then known as Zululand) Clegg formed Savuka (meaning “we have risen”) aiming to mix traditional African music with more international rock music. Bongani Masuku joined Savuka in 1992, the same year Ndlovu was murdered, and had been part of the Johnny Clegg Band as a backing vocalist since its formation until he was so brutally murdered on Saturday May 17, 2014.
