Johnny Clegg & Juluka Collection

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In 1979, in the dregs of South Africa's apartheid era, Johnny Clegg, an English-born white man, and a black musician named Sipho Mchunu had the foolhardy courage to cofound a band called Juluka. Despite their widespread popularity, this was a life-threatening proposition. Their very existence was a political statement aimed at the evil heart of the vile regime then in power. As the word spread, they became favorites with audiences in England and the U.S., spreading a musical gospel made of mbaqanga (township jive) and traditional Zulu styles mixed with Western rock. Their joyous, tightly harmonized tunes rocked while insightful lyrics pleaded eloquently for an end to racism. The 10 tracks on this compilation are culled from six albums, and it's easy to understand why their fame achieved international proportions. Clegg later formed another group called Savuka, but this was where his gentle, ultimately triumphant battle began. --Christina Roden

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Average customer rating: Great Job, Johnny! Welcome Back! Johnny is fantastic!! The Johnny we love is back! Johnny is back

One Life Johnny Clegg Manufacturer: Marabi France ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Africa | International | Styles | Music South Africa | Africa | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music World Dance | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Similar Items: Johnny Clegg with Savuka & Juluka - Live! and More... Best of Live: At the Nelson Mandela Theatre Shadow Man Scatterlings of Africa Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World ASIN: B000I5YROM Release Date: 2006-10-16

Tracks:

1. Daughter of Eden
2. Jongosi
3. Makhabeleni
4. Thamela-Die Son Trek Water
5. Revolution Will Eat Its Children (Anthem for Uncle Bob)
6. Utshani Obulele
7. Faut Pas Baisser Les Bras
8. Devana
9. Bull Heart
10. Day in the Life
11. Boy Soldier
12. Touch the Sun
13. 4 Box Square
14. I Don't Want to Be Away
15. Locked and Loaded
16. Utshani Obulele [Zulu Version]

Customer Reviews:

Great Job, Johnny!.......2007-05-24

How refreshing when an artist comes back well into his career to produce an album that can stand up to the best of his work. This album contains several tracks that pop out as instant Johnny Clegg classics at the first listen, and others that grow on you with subsequent listenings, all with interesting lyrics. Other reviews in this section have described the music eloquently. The CD booklet contains lyrics and translations of key phrases into English when he sings in other languages, so I'd recommend getting the CD rather than downloading. One of the big mysteries to me is why Clegg is not a household-name superstar in the States & Canada. His music is infectious, and his concerts are uplifting and thoroughly enjoyable, with the audience up and dancing through most of the show. I was thrilled when he came to the city near where I vacation for shows in the summers of '04 and '05. Amazingly, neither show was sold out at smallish venues, but the crowds were most enthusiastic and appreciative. What will it take to 'spread the word' about Johnny Clegg after all these years?

Welcome Back!.......2007-04-11

It's about time Johnny came back to his roots! This is an excellent release that just took took took took long... but worth the wait.

Johnny is fantastic!!.......2007-02-22

Johnny Clegg's latest album is wonderful as so many of his albums are.
His music is some of the most uplifting music I have ever listened to.

If you ever have a chance to see him in concert, you wouldn't be dissappointed!

The Johnny we love is back!.......2006-12-20

After 2002's new sound of his "New World Survivor" release, I thought he was moving away from his signature sound (the mix of zulu chanting and rhythms with western pop rock), but his latest is an encouraging welcome back to the sound he perfected in 1997's "Crocodile Love" cd. While I disagree with a previous reviewer that "New World Survivor" lacked any songs with a memorable hook (it had three such irresistable songs: "Colours of Change", "Into the Picture", and "New World Survivor") or that his latest cd also lacks any truly memorable songs. No, this cd is full of songs that I can't sit still to!

The most single-worthy song is "The Revolution will eat its children". If you can ignore for a minute the oddness of the title, it has a catchy rhythm and a very hip "echo" effect on the word "gun", which I don't think I've ever heard in any song before. The song deserves to be the first single released, to remind listeners that Johnny is back in fine form. Other irresistable songs include "Thamela", "Makhabeleni", "Utshani Obulele" (my personal favourite song on this cd), and "Four Box Square" (about the relative sameness of the towns/cities he travels in on tour). The other single worthy songs are "I Don't Want to Be Away" (where he laments about being away from his wife while touring with his band) and "Locked and Loaded" (which sounds like a violent song, but is really about a man making the commitment to marriage). Both songs are quite catchy and would play well on radio, even the rather narrow minded American ones.

In addition to 15 new songs, we get to hear Johnny sing in Afrikaans ("Thamela--Die son trek water") and French ("Faut pas baisser les bras") for the first time. And the classic Johnny sound I mentioned earlier? He has that "ho-hum-oh-hum" chant going on in one of his songs that is easily recognizeable to older songs of his. All of this was missing on his last cd, when he experimented with a new sound (similar to Madonna's post Evita sound). All I can say is, welcome back, Johnny! I never get tired of his "old sound" because he finds ways of making it sound fresh again. If I wanted to hear Madonna-esque melodies, I'd buy her cds, but Johnny has something unique that no one else can offer, so if Johnny no longer offers that unique sound, what are fans left with? So, please support Johnny by getting this CD! And if he tours North America to promote this cd, go see his tour. You won't regret it. It'll be the most energized show you'll ever see.

Johnny is back.......2006-12-19

This is the band's best album in years. It is a return to the mixture of Western and Zulu rhythms, and English and Zulu lyrics that make this group so exciting and get me dancing around the house. What other music makes me think I actually understand Zulu, even though I don't, just because I get the music in my soul? It brings back the excitement of the live concerts and makes me remember why I really, really love this band.

One minor quibble: why are all the pictures of Johnny? I want to see Andy, Barry, Mandisa!

Average customer rating: Excellent! Cruel Crazy Beautiful World is Johnny Clegg's best. My favorite album of all time! The Best Johnny Clegg Album Infectious

Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World Johnny Clegg & Savuka Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Africa | International | Styles | Music South Africa | Africa | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music Similar Items: Shadow Man Third World Child Heat, Dust and Dreams Scatterlings of Africa Johnny Clegg with Savuka & Juluka - Live! and More... ASIN: B00000DRAQ Release Date: 1990-03-16

Tracks:

1. One (Hu)'man One Vote
2. Cruel Crazy Beautiful World
3. Jericho
4. Dela (I Know Why The Dog Howls At The Moon)
5. Moliva
6. It's An Illusion
7. Bombs Away
8. Woman Be My Country
9. Rolling Ocean
10. Warsaw 1943 (I Never Betrayed The Revolution)
11. Vezandlebe

Customer Reviews:

Excellent!.......2005-07-21

I had this cassette several years ago and wore it out. When the weather got hot this year, I remembered how much I missed listening to this "summer music". I immediately ordered the CD, and when I put it on, it was like listening to an old friend. This music is really a love song to South Africa, with all the sadness of the apartheid days. It is also relevant to any place where people are fighting to be free of oppression. The lyrics are beautiful and the African rhythms guarantee you will be humming the music even when not playing the CD.

Cruel Crazy Beautiful World is Johnny Clegg's best........2005-07-07

Funky, fun and imbued with all the passion of South Africa just prior to the end of apartheid, this album deals with love, hate, parenthood, freedom, marriage and war always with a winning combination of powerful beauty and enthusiasm. "Dela" later became the funky love song everyone recognized from the movie "George of the Jungle". This is simply a stunning work of art.

My favorite album of all time!.......2004-07-23

This was the first album that blew me away on first listen. From the opening tribal chanting of "One (Hu) Man, One Vote" I knew I was in for a musical journey my ears have never heard before. This album perfectly encapsulates the era of its time (the cautious optimism of 1989-1990 when communist regimes were falling in Europe and apartheid was heading in that direction), but manages to relate to current events as well, nearly 15 years later.

The song "Jericho" could very well describe the conditions at Guantanamo Bay, the recent Abu Ghraib prison scandal, and the wall being built in Israel: "standing at the gates/this is Jericho/and the walls reach up to the stars/and outside we were singing psalms/such a strange, strange place/for we are the prisoners of the prisoners we have taken/and the prophets' dreams are now forsaken."

In "One (Hu) Man, One Vote", Johnny sings, "the west is sleeping in a fragile freedom/forgotten is the price that was paid/ten thousand years of marching through a veil of tears/to break a few links in these chains/these things come to us by way of much pain/don't let us slip back into the dark."

Its not all politics, though. His catchy, danceable love song, "Dela" is guaranteed to get your feet and body moving. It was featured in the film "George of the Jungle" and remains one of the best love songs I've ever heard.

My personal favorite song is "Woman Be My Country", for its beautiful melody and lyrics, sweetened by a saxophone. This song is for anyone who feels like a stranger in his own country, an ex-patriot who disagrees with his government as it relates to the world. When we feel powerless to change the cold, impersonal bureaucracy, we seek refuge in the ones nearest and dearest to our hearts: "woman be my country/'till my country can be mine/hide me deep inside your borders/in these dark and troubled times/remember me my innocence/before I drown in a sea of lies/woman be my country/'till my country can be mine."

In short, this album is Johnny's most moving, brilliant, and best work. It is emblematic of an era in history, a soundtrack to the times, that transcends its era to represent relevancy in current situations. It is quite simply, Johnny Clegg's own "Sgt. Pepper" or "Pet Sounds". On top of that, the album cover is also one of the best ones I've seen and perhaps the best one of nearly 25 albums of his. Highly recommended, especially for any fan of world music, anyone who wants to hear a different sound than they hear on the radio, or people interested in the politics of Africa, the developing world, the Cold War, or the remarkable years that 1989-1991 were.

The Best Johnny Clegg Album.......2003-11-04

Johnny Clegg is a man caught between two worlds. On one hand, his music is so infectious that you can't help but get caught up in the sheer joy of Savuka's masterly blend of Zulu sounds and western pop. On the other hand, there is the dark heart of politics that informed Clegg's life as a white man leading a multi-racial band in South Africa during the clashes of that nation's violent struggles in change. This not a lightly made statement, Clegg lost a band member to street violence and close friends to political assassinations.

It is that friction that informs "Cruel Crazy Beautiful World." As soon as the insistent chorus of "One (Hu)man, One Vote" pounds out of the speaker, you can feel the urgency that beats behind it. Yet the heart that wants to find a better world for his children in the title song right after "One Vote" moves the urgency from the head to the heart and feet. In fact it's hard to not swing or dance while this album plays. It's like a challenge Savuka issues to your spirit and your social conscience. You need to think while you listen to "Cruel Crazy Beautiful World." And more than that, you need to dance.

Infectious.......2003-09-07

I, like many, stumbled onto Johnny Clegg & Savuka! In a bar in San Francisco of all places. This CD came on the sound system and stopped my conversation! It was so infectious that I asked the bartender who it was, and bought the CD the next day. It became one of my favorites, and remains a jubilant and transcending collection of music!

Average customer rating: Awesome "Dance A Living Memory" An album of mythic proportions One of the most overlooked bands in the world Five Stars Isn't Enough

Shadow Man Johnny Clegg & Savuka Manufacturer: EMI Int'l ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Africa | International | Styles | Music South Africa | Africa | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music International | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World Scatterlings of Africa Heat, Dust and Dreams Third World Child Johnny Clegg with Savuka & Juluka - Live! and More... ASIN: B000006XNL Release Date: 1995-01-19

Tracks:

1. Human Rainbow
2. Talk To The People
3. Too Early For The Sky
4. I Call Your Name
5. Take My Heart Away
6. The Waiting
7. African Shadow Man
8. Dance Across The Centuries
9. Joey Don't Do It
10. Siyayilanda

Album Details

The Second Post-juluka Album from Founder Johnny Clegg, Whose Entire Musical Being is About Fusing Together Elements of Both Black and White Music. Here, Traditional African Zulu Chants Meet Modern Instruments for a Most Invigorating Fusion. Clegg's Stage Show is Just as Exciting as his Recordings.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome.......2004-08-13

I grew up with Johnny Clegg's music being that I am from South Africa. Now that I have lived in Virginia for 3 years I find myself pining for Africa. Listening to Savuka and Juluka helps me imagine that I am back home. All the albums are awesome. Someone reviewd that some of his music was banned in South Africa because of it being too controversal, well this is not true, as the album 'Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World' is one I have had since it originally came out in the early '90's. Enjoy the music, and if you can take a trip to South Africa.

"Dance A Living Memory".......2003-11-04

Right about the time every western pop star was playing with "world-beat," Johnny Clegg and Savuka made their strongest bid for an American audience with this CD. It took the indecisive sound of "Third World Child" and glossed it up so strikingly that they almost sounded more Southern Californian than South African. Try to imagine Huey Lewis recording "Graceland" instead of Paul Simon. That was how powerful the lead single, "Take My Heart Away," was. But once the mix of Zulu and English lyrics begin hypnotizing you along with the rhythms, it's impossible to not realize that this is an extremely individualistic sound.

The keyboards figured more prominently on "Shadow Man" than before, which added to the danceable nature of the songs. And if you were ever lucky enough to see Johnny and Savuka live, you know how physical the dances are. Johnny and his partner Dudu could step to the front of the stage and exhaust YOU with the energy they exerted in their traditional dances, which had them leaping into the air with an almost superhuman exuberance. Given that the formation of a mixed race band in the highly charged atmosphere of South Africa of the 80's was a dangerous political statement (Clegg was frequently arrested and harassed), seeing these two men on stage move with such power and grace was truly inspiring! (Tragically, Dudu was murdered in 1992.)

I was lucky enough to meet them after a show in Philadelphia when they opened for Tracy Chapman (they signed a poster for me), but never got to see them again live. It doesn't mean I have forgotten this music. "Shadow Man" is a CD that has aged strikingly well.

An album of mythic proportions.......2002-04-24

I first encountered Johnny Clegg in 1988 via Jimmy Buffet's album, "Hot Water" in which he covers a Clegg tune "Great Heart." I immediately bought the first Clegg album I could find, Shadow man, and it was the single best musical purchase I've ever made. The music is intoxicating, the rhythms are addictive, and the depth and breadth of emotion is startling. He speaks of things that most Americans take for granted such as freedom, human rights, and oppression. But his views on all things are both sublime and poetic. This album not only shocked me in its musical quality and originality, it moved my soul (and feet!) How some people can go through life without knowing Johnny Clegg is a mystery to me. Buy it now, enjoy it forever.

One of the most overlooked bands in the world.......2001-06-15

I have the complete Johnny Clegg collection dating back to when it was Jaluka. Shadow Man has my favorite song, "Take my Heart Away." The blending of English and Zulu has kept me loving this music for over twenty years. There is not a bad CD or album they don't have and deserve much more radio play than they get. Come on, Johnny, give the fans more!

Five Stars Isn't Enough.......2000-12-07

This is world music at it's best, Johnny Clegg is brilliant. His music is an appealing mix of Rock, Reggae and Traditional African singing. His lyrics focus both on the everyday trials of average people and deep political and spiritual questions. The political message, though rooted in the problems of South Africa is never didactic, in fact it is universal. Sample lyrics: `You've learned to live inside the space, that connects each link of chain, and you say you've got some peace of mind now, but I know your waiting all the same, with an ache that has no name, for the fresh breath of invisible wind'. Any album is worth buying, including several excellent albums released under the name Juluka. You need not be a world music fan to enjoy this album, I have recommended Johnny Clegg to many people since I first learned of him in the 80's, and almost every one was thrilled. Enchanting, uplifting and mesmerizing you will instantly become a fan. If you have a chance, see Johnny live, especially in a small venue, his live concerts are a religious experience, especially exciting when he performs the traditional Zulu war dance. All tracks are excellent, pay special attention to `The Waiting", "Too Early For The Sky" and "Take My Heart Away".

Average customer rating: Johnny Clegg Best of Live excellent one stop shopping Fabulous live CD

Best of Live: At the Nelson Mandela Theatre Johnny Clegg Manufacturer: EMI Int'l ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Africa | International | Styles | Music South Africa | Africa | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music International | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Johnny Clegg with Savuka & Juluka - Live! and More... One Life The Very Best of Shadow Man Premium Gold ASIN: B0001M4E22 Release Date: 2004-05-24

Tracks:

1. Bullets for Bafazana
2. I Call Your Name
3. Giyani
4. Into the Picture
5. Crossing
6. Colours of Change
7. Great Heart
8. Cruel Crazy Beautiful World
9. Impi
10. Scatterlings of Africa
11. Tatazela
12. Dela
13. December African Rain
14. Umfazi Omadala
15. Asimbonanga

Customer Reviews:

Johnny Clegg Best of Live.......2006-01-02

Technically, this is the best recording of Johnny Clegg's music that is available. This is a live recording at the Nelson Mandella Theater and is beautifully engineered. In addition, Johnny's voice has taken on a confidently mature sound that is not heard on many of his other recordings.

Johnny Clegg's music is an amazing amalgam of different musical styles combiing Zulu singing, rock, reggae, and jazz. It is shocking that he is so little known in the USA and his music is never played on popular radio. He is an international star as witnessed by the huge crowd at a concert in Paris, which is featured on his Live DVD.

excellent one stop shopping.......2004-09-26

This is the best single collection I've found of the songs spanning Johnny Clegg's long career. It's affordable if bought used (i.e., not at Amazon, sorry guys). For Clegg fanatics, it's worth it to add another version of these songs to your collection - all of them energetic and well-played. For newcomers, it's worth it to get an easy introduction to why you might want to become a fanatic. Having been converted, though, it's worth tracking down the original albums. None of these live versions do any sort of disservice to the original song, but very few are actually better (in my view) - "Dela," for example, loses a good deal of its original subtlety in this live setting, at least. (That said, it settles in beautifully between "Tatazela" and "December African Rain.") Also, the mix between songs is a little abrupt - like the mix tapes you made in college, the applause just cuts off, then starts again.

But buy this album - then buy the rest.

Fabulous live CD.......2004-07-11

This CD contains performances and arrangements by the band members who comprise the Johnny Clegg Band that just finished touring in the US in Spring and Summer 2004. With two veterans of the Savuka days (Andy Innes and Mandisa Dlanga) and the new talent Johnny has recruited for this band, the musicianship is superb, the arrangements are new and lively and in a few cases even better than the originals. The liner notes explain that this is a live recording of performances made at the Nelson Theatre in Johannesburg called "A South African Story." Tens (hundreds?) of thousands of South Africans have attended these concerts over the past few years. If you saw the band in the US in Spring or Summer 2004 and want to listen to the sound you heard, this is the CD to buy. If you already know Clegg's music, this is an excellent way to get updated on a master musician's newest phase. Hopefully it will be released domestically and will be a little less expensive, but it is still worth every penny!

Average customer rating: Sadly, the last Savuka album, possibly Johnny Clegg's last strong offering The one Awesome Artist - a great unknown A MUST HAVE more solid afro-pop

Heat, Dust and Dreams Johnny Clegg & Savuka Manufacturer: EMI Int'l ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Africa | International | Styles | Music South Africa | Africa | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music International | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Shadow Man Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World Third World Child Scatterlings of Africa In My African Dream ASIN: B000008ECV Release Date: 1999-02-08

Tracks:

1. These Days
2. Crossing
3. I Can Never Be (What You Want Me to Be)
4. Tough Enough
5. Promise
6. Inevitable Consequence of Progress
7. In My African Dream
8. Emotional Allegiance (Stand by Me)
9. Foreign Nights (Working Dog in Babylon)
10. Your Time Will Come
11. Your Time Will Come - Johnny Clegg

Customer Reviews:

Sadly, the last Savuka album, possibly Johnny Clegg's last strong offering.......2006-08-08

Heat, Dust & Dreams, by Johnny Clegg & Savuka. Release date: 1993. Currently out of print in the U.S., so you'll have to buy used or as an import. But do buy it if you like worldbeat or African music at all.

The opening track, "These Days", kicks off with the buzz of bagpipes and immediately informs the listener that they are listening to some serious fusion here. The styles blended by Johnny Clegg are South African mbaqanga, Western pop, Western rock, Celtic, reggae, and even Indian music, which makes it very hard to define. "These Days" is pretty heavy, with Clegg belting out the lyrics in one of the angriest, most biting tones he's ever done on any song. It makes "Soweto", off of 1982's Ubuhle Bemvelo, sound gentle. And, considering what South Africa and the world have just been through and what the future seems to hold for the tattered Africa, it's appropriate. What is surprising is the absence of hope or celebration even in the wake of the release of Nelson Mandela and the fall of apartheid.

The next song is one of the group's best. It's a short, softer piece in memory of a friend and former bandmate - the little note on the lyrics reads simply "For Dudu" - entitled "The Crossing (Osiyeza)". The song deals with the crossing from life into death, and how Clegg feels that it's like "coming home". It also deals with the impression that the departed leave behind. The Zulu chorus is effective, as usual.

"I Can Never Be (What You Want Me To Be)" has the subject matter of a man who feels inadequate and unsuitable for the woman that he loves and is bitter that she will never accept him because she's always want him to be someone who he can't be, which is oddly at ease with the uptempo, happy-go-lucky bounce of the instrumentation. Somehow, it works - it's charming and, most important of all, it's honest. Works for the Goo Goo Dolls; works here, too.

The next song is...well, it's honestly one of the best songs I've heard recently. "When The System Has Fallen" - even the name is promising. It starts off strong, with the always-awesome jaw harp and then the introduction of excellent, sharp vocals from Clegg, and just gets better, featuring a powerful Zulu-language chorus, which is almost always excellent and is brilliant here. Later in the song, the English and Zulu chorus lines are layered; the ending has downright majesty as the Zulu chorus is chanted over and over. The instruments drop down to drums, then finally the drums fall out and the last ten seconds are chanted a cappella. Definitely a "whoa" moment.

The fifth song on the album, "Tough Enough", kicks into gear with some cool concertina playing by Clegg. The lyrics aren't classic, but they work for the song. It's not a brilliant piece, but it's worth listening to and it's on my iPod, even if "When The System Has Fallen" and "The Crossing (Osiyeza)" are a lot better. This rock is fairly political, and has its merits. The bridge, which takes things down a notch, is pretty good.

And it's certainly a great deal better than "The Promise", which is weak. Clegg tries singing in a fashion that doesn't suit his vocal style at all, and the lyrics fall flat. It serves the purpose of calling attention to the main theme of the album, which is survival and "making it through".

It is followed by "Inevitable Consequence Of Progress". Now, the reviews I read said that this song was "brilliant", and it sounded promising: the perspective of a naive helicopter gunner shooting down native African tribesmen. Unfortunately, Clegg takes the previous bad vocals of "The Promise" to a whole new extreme of awful. There are really no words past that.

"In My African Dream" has good verses and a good bridge, but a very poor chorus with female backup singers that sound ridiculously out of place. There's a nice repeating keyboard thing going on beneath the main instrumentation of the song. Overall, the song doesn't hold up well. The chorus is regrettable.

The next song opens in a way that really shocked me. There's a heavy Hindi influence here; the usual bilinguality of the songs is between English and Zulu. Here, it's between English and Hindi. It's not that bad of a song, but it's not very good either, and the references to "the story of Ram" give the impression that Johnny Clegg just heard about some inspiring Hindu mythology and decided to write a funky song all about it. Definite slump over these past four songs.

Thankfully, "Foreign Nights (Working Dog In Babylon)" pulls it out. It's not a jaw-droppingly amazing or powerful song, but it's a good, solid track and is a marked improvement over the past four.

The closing piece is mostly Zulu and is awesome. It's called "Your Time Will Come". Towards the end, the deserved hope and celebration finally breaks through, as if the album itself symbolizes the dark times of apartheid that finally, at the end, break into the future: "I saw the Berlin Wall fall / I saw Mandela walk free / I saw a dream whose time has come / Change my history - so keep on dreaming". And that's a hell of a way to end an album.

Despite four songs in a row of "meh", I still have to recommend this for the rest of the album's worth of material. It's not for everyone. If you're only comfortable on the manufactured pop of the '90s and '00s, or the gangsta rap and hip-hop of the recent generation, or the shrieking, growling heavy metal of the U.S. of A., don't bother unless you want to break free. But if you like classic rock music, there's something for you here; if you like world music, it's quite recommended; if you like the bouncy sort of power ballads popularized by bands like Styx, Foreigner, and Boston, give it a go; if you just want to try something new, I can guarantee that it is definitely new.

The one.......2005-09-01

The best of the regrettably small catalogue. If you have the hits Crossing and Tough Enough already from a best of compilation, do not hesitate to purchase this anyway. African Dream, When The System Has Fallen, and Foreign Nights are outstanding songs also, easily worth the price of the CD. The background chorus is unique and inspiring.

If you're like me and would not have had the opporunity to see them live, I seem to remember them making an appearance on SNL many years back that you could catch.

Awesome Artist - a great unknown.......2004-11-27

I first heard Johnny Clegg in the early 1980's, just before I had the pleasure of seeing Juluka in concert. After Sipho McHunu left, the band was renamed Savuka, and is just as good to me. More accessible to western pop & rock listeners, but still very rooted in African music. Zulu is a beautiful language and this album is accented with zulu background and chorus vocals.

Out of the thousands of vinyl LPs and hundreds of CDs I have, this album remains in my eternal top 20. If I were stranded with only a CD player and 10 CDs, I would hope this would be one of them.

A MUST HAVE.......2004-07-25

Johnny Clegg is overlooked in the U.S., and this album proves he is 100 times better than the majority of dreck on the airwaves today. This album succeeds on many levels...strong hooks, enchanting rhythyms, memorable melodies and lyrics...even the Zulu language parts of the songs blend so well with the English lyrics that you will start to phonetically sound them out and try to sing it...you can't stop dancing, singing and loving this album...older fans of Clegg's various bands will think this more commercial and slick...it is a little different than his Juluka band days, but great nonetheless! A must have in any collection.

more solid afro-pop.......2003-04-18

Typical Johnny Clegg sound and lyrics, but somehow this album just doesn't measure up to "Third World Child" and "Cruel Crazy Beautiful World". There are still 6 or so good tracks on here, so well worth a listen. Just don't make it the first Johnny Clegg album you buy.

Average customer rating: Totally Agree Great CD but....

Scatterlings of Africa Johnny Clegg & Savuka , Johnny Clegg , and Savuka Manufacturer: Disky ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Africa | International | Styles | Music South Africa | Africa | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music International | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Shadow Man Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World In My African Dream Third World Child The Very Best of ASIN: B00008UZO9 Release Date: 2003-03-31

Tracks:

1. Scatterlings of Africa
2. African Shadow Man
3. Third World Child
4. Giyana
5. Berlin Wall
6. Are You Ready?
7. Dance Across the Centuries
8. Asimbonanga (Mandela)
9. Human Rainbow
10. Don't Walk Away
11. I Call Your Name
12. Great Heart
13. Ring on Her Finger
14. Talk to the People

Customer Reviews:

Totally Agree.......2006-09-08

The first reviewer is correct; the songs on this CD are not those listed by Amazon. But I kept the CD anyway, because there are some very good songs on it.

Great CD but...........2006-08-20

This is a great CD but, be warned that the songs listed above ARE NOT the ones on this CD. The tracks listed above are from the Juluka CD "Scatterlings"(Johnny Clegg was a member of Juluka).

I was very surprised when I received this as I was looking a replacement for my album. I informed Amazon, they offered a refund (I refused as I do like the tracks), but they have not yet updated their site.

The actual tracks on this CD:
Scatterlings of Africa
African Shadow Man
Third World Child
Giyana
Berlin Wall
Are You Ready?
Dance Across the Centuries
Asimbonanga (Mandela)
Human Rainbow
Don't Walk Away
I Call Your Name
Great Heart
Ring on Her Finger
Talk to the People

Average customer rating:

The Very Best of Johnny Clegg & Savuka Manufacturer: EMI Int'l ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Africa | International | Styles | Music South Africa | Africa | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music World Dance | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music International | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Scatterlings of Africa Best of Live: At the Nelson Mandela Theatre Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World Johnny Clegg with Savuka & Juluka - Live! and More... One Life ASIN: B00004UQCF Release Date: 2002-03-04

Tracks:

1. Scatterlings Of Africa
2. Great Heart
3. Asimbonanga (Mandela)
4. Giyana
5. I Call Your Name
6. Take My Heart Away
7. African Shadow Man
8. Cruel Crazy Beautiful World
9. One Hu Man One Vote
10. Dela
11. These Days
12. The Crossing Osiyeza
13. In My African Dream
14. Gumba Gumba Jive
15. Lost Girl
16. Shine A Light
17. Dela Acapella Version

Album Details

Collection of Clegg's Best Work with Savuka and his First Group Juluka. Besides Combining Zulu Tribal Culture and Western Infuenced Sounds, He also was the First to have Mixed-race Groups Performing Together on the Same Stage in South Africa. Features 'scatterlings of Africa' which Gained Success after Appearing on the Rain Man Soundtrack.

Average customer rating: Johnny Live! A great sampler of one of music's great innovators An Amazing Message fabulous! There is no such thing as a bad Johnny Clegg album!

Anthology Johnny Clegg Manufacturer: Valley ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Africa | International | Styles | Music South Africa | Africa | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Best of Juluka Classic Jazz from Rare Piano Rolls Shadow Man One Life Blender ASIN: B00004HYNN Release Date: 2000-03-07

Tracks:

1. Universal Men
2. Impi
3. High Country
4. Woza Friday
5. Scatterlings Of Africa
6. Bullets For Bafazane
7. Nans Impi
8. Kilimanjaro
9. Orphans Of The Empire
10. Great Heart
11. Take My Heart Away
12. Dela (Remix)
13. Cruel Crazy Beautiful World
14. The Crossing
15. Africa (What Made You So Strong)
16. Asimbonanga (Live)
17. Hambile/The Dance (Live)

Customer Reviews:

Johnny Live!.......2002-09-20

-recently went to Nelson Mandela Theater in Joburg SA to see JC live , fantastic! Albums don't do his music and performance justice. Was "shaking the Tree"long before P. Gabriel!!--ozpal

A great sampler of one of music's great innovators.......2002-05-08

Before Paul Simon amazed the world with Graceland, Johnny Clegg and Juluka were breaking the law in South Africa simply by playing together. While the world lay in shock when Nelson Mandela was imprisioned, Johnny Clegg's politically active lyrics questioned all authority in South Africa.

This album takes the lyrical political astuteness of Rage Against the Machine, the beats of Afro Celt Soundsystem, and the lush melodies and harmonies of R.E.M. and creates something wonderful. Early Juluka classics like Universal Men, High Country, Woza Friday, Scatterlings of Africa and Kilimanjaro are deeply moving, and Savuka hits like Great Heart (later covered by Jimmy Buffet), Take My Heart Away, and an astounding live version of Asimbonanga, Clegg's tribute to Mandela, this album will touch anyone with a heart, move anyone with a soul, and inspire anyone with feet to dance with.

Clegg's voice, either speaking rhythmic English or more rhythmic Zulu, is beautiful, and his word moreso. Perhaps the only songs missing from here are Too Early For The Sky, Human Rainbow and African Shadow Man, all off his Shadow Man album, which is sorely absent on this collection. But Clegg is an amazing musician and songwriter, and if you do not know him yet, I urge you to seek him out.

An Amazing Message.......2002-03-19

My introduction to Johnny Clegg was a cover of the song "Great Heart" played by Jimmy Buffett at a concert in 1987. He told the audience that songs like this reminded him of his own early work. That put the hook into me. I tried to find all of the Johnny Clegg music I could. On the way, I found out that Clegg had been arrested in South Africa for playing on the same stage as Black South Africans, and that disguises were used to fool the authorities. He had also been a professor of anthropology in South Africa, as I was lucky enough to learn from one of his students. Also, for those who would like more of a feeling for the man and his music, I suggest hunting down a copy of "VH1's One 2 One" regarding Clegg.

Although apartheid is dead in South Africa, the message of Clegg's music is still quite valid. The history of a proud people and their struggle to be accepted by a world that draws racial lines. Songs like "Scatterlings of Africa" (heard both on Saturday Night Live and in the movie "Rain Man"), "Asimbonanga" and "Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World" (a song written after the birth of Clegg's son) reflect the yearning for a better life. Clegg's music seems to me to be a reflection of Bob Dylan's music from the early 1960's. In a time when South Africans could not say what was on their minds, Johnny Clegg and Sipho brought the struggle to the young, to those with a conscience and did it with both love and grace.

Usually, I stay away from "collection" or "best of" albums, but this is truly an amazing album. One which every collector of "World Beat" should own.

fabulous!.......2001-03-13

I heard about Johnny Clegg for the first time on a BBC Radio 4 documentary, then found this CD a week later at a stall at Brixton market in London. I didn't know what to expect, but it quickly became my favourite, and I'm sure the neighbours downstairs can hear when "Impi" booms through the floorboards! I love the energy of "Kilimanjaro", "Woza Friday" and "Bullets", and the interesting mixes of Zulu and Western styles in some of the others. I'm dying to see this guy in concert - I've heard he's a great dancer!

There is no such thing as a bad Johnny Clegg album!.......2000-06-09

There can be few artists who have produced as many good albums throughout the late 70's, 80's and 90's as Johnny Clegg, whether as Juluka or in his later incarnation as Savauka. This anthology includes some of the best from both bands. Great tracks like Impi which combine a wonderful chorus with gripping factual story line about the defeat of a British Regiment by the Zulu army in 1881. It also has one of the truly great tracks of all time "Scatterlings of Africa". Remember that this song about the common origins of man was written and performed by a multiracial band which defied all the rules of Apartheid to produce music like this.

More erecnt highlights include "The Crossing" a lament about a dead Zulu friend's crossing to the next world which contains a truly hauntingly beautiful chorus.

Paul Simon brought the music of South Africa to the world's attention with Graceland but Clegg was there long before Simon. While Simon's clever New Yorker lyrics sit slightly awarkwardly on top of the rhthymns of South Africa Cleggs is a true fusion of African and Western musical traditions. He deserves to be better known and his music deserves more airtime. he is one of the best writers and performers of the last 20 years in any popular music form.

There is no such thing as a bad Johnny Clegg album and this is one of the best. Buy it and try it. You won't be disappointed.

Average customer rating:

One Life Johnny Clegg Manufacturer: Rhythm Safari ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Africa | International | Styles | Music South Africa | Africa | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music World Dance | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music International | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B000Q6ZNS2 Release Date: 2007-05-28

Tracks:

1. Daughter of Eden
2. Jongosi
3. Makhabeleni
4. Thamela-Die Son Trek Water
5. Revolution Will Eat Its Children (Anthem for Uncle Bob)
6. Utshani Obulele
7. Faut Pas Baisser Les Bras
8. Devana
9. Bull Heart
10. Day in the Life
11. Boy Soldier
12. Touch the Sun
13. 4 Box Square
14. I Don't Want to Be Away
15. Locked and Loaded
16. Utshani Obulele [Zulu Version]

Album Details

Johnny Clegg is Back with his First Album Since 2002's `new World Survivor'. `one Life' is Arguably his Best Work Since 1993's `heat, Dust and Dreams' and Has all the Instrumental and Vocal Hallmarks that Made the Clegg and Savuka Albums So Great in the Late 80's and Early 90's. Lyrically, Clegg Touches on his Usual Subjects Such as Spirituality, Love and Politics, Singing in English, Zulu and Even French.

Average customer rating: Good, but there are better Johnny Clegg discs. solid afro-pop Moving, Empowering, Uplifting--Really! Learn To Speak A Little Bit Of Zulu Third World Child

Third World Child Johnny Clegg & Savuka Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Africa | International | Styles | Music South Africa | Africa | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music Similar Items: Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World Shadow Man Heat, Dust and Dreams Scatterlings of Africa In My African Dream ASIN: B000006V36 Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Are You Ready?
2. Asimbonanga (Mandela)
3. Giyani
4. Scatterlings Of Africa
5. Great Heart
6. Missing
7. Ring On Her Finger
8. Third World Child
9. Berlin Wall
10. Don't Walk Away

Customer Reviews:

Good, but there are better Johnny Clegg discs........2003-11-04

I was already marginally familiar with Johnny Clegg via his first albums with Jaluka (issued on Warner Brothers in the late seventies/early eighties) and always found his mix of Zulu music with western pop to be interesting. I found out about the new Savuka recordings through of all things, the movie "Rain Man" with Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman! A rerecorded "Scatterlings Of Africa" was included in the movie, so I went looking for the new album.

"Third World Child" wasn't a disappointment, but it didn't sound complete. There are some good songs here, but the production is thin and brittle sounding. So while I heartily recommend that you should have some Savuka in your library, I'd suggest "Shadow Man" and "Cruel Crazy Beautiful World" above this particular disc.

solid afro-pop.......2003-04-18

Political lyrics overwhelmed by the catchiness of the tunes.

The production sounds a bit dated (it is from 1987 after all), but this is a great collection of hook-y afro-pop songs. The weakest track is probably "Missing", but even that song is OK, and the rest of the tracks are all really strong.

This is just pop music after all, so I don't think it's going to expand either your mind or your musical horizons, but it's well worth a purchase.

Moving, Empowering, Uplifting--Really!.......2003-01-31

If there ever were a musician who was not getting enough international recognition, it may well be Johnny Clegg. His music is filled with such life and integrity that it I have this fantasy of playing it really loud over some massive sound-system so that everyone all over the world would hear and love it...mmmwwhahahhaa! But really, that's not what this group is all about. This album is probably my very favorite JC and Savuka album, as perfect fusion of international rock, pop, and more traditional Zulu elements. Much of the subject matter is very serious or political, reflecting Clegg's history in South Africa, working to overcome apartheid. (Think "Mandela," Third World Child," "Missing," or "Berlin Wall." (Yes I know that's not in S. Africa.) However, all of these songs have an unbelievably fantastic spirit, with so much life and optimism and pure guts that listening to any of them makes one fantastically happy. That simple.
The album starts off with a burst of strength in "Are You Ready?" This, like all other songs, is a seamlessly bilingual song, another element I love. (Yes, you will find yourself singing along in Zulu, regardless of whether or not you acutally know this powerful-sounding language.) The rhythm gets into your body and your mind, the words and meldody infiltrating thereafter. "Mandela" has some of the most deeply interesting and beautiful harmonies I have ever heard, making it even more powerful as an almost hymn-like tribute to South African activists. "Giyana" is another song with fierce energy, and some of the most interesting lyrics on this album. "Scatterling of Africa" is one of my very favorites, a king of Savuka classic. The message, which deals with the ties of the human race to its origins in Africa, is a raw, rhythmic, melodious song. It seems to almost serve as a backdrop for the rest of the album, a driving force that connects international listeners. (The aformentioned "scatterlings of Africa") "Missing" is dark and poignant, yet empowered and devoted, an almost anxious-sounding song. (Listen for these words in the beginning: "and I was banging at your door, but you weren't there anymore") These aren't really typical lyrics, but something about the way Clegg sings them is perhaps the single most moving moment on the entire album.
"The Ring on her Finger" is the fun song, lighter and utterly catchy, but with that all-important little tangy grain of truth. "That girl is feeling trapped by the ring on her finger." Well that's a new way to look at it...now I THINK this song's about some sort of extra-marital affair, but this song lightens it all up. I sing and dance along with the chorus, and the Zulu parts of the chorus make me pine desperately after learning that language. A fantastic song.
"Third World Child" and "Berlin Wall" are massive songs, true and gritty and empowering no matter where you live, how you live, or the fact that the Berlin Wall fell a while ago now. These are meaningful songs, and "Third World Child" has an especially fascinating perspective that is honestly thought-provoking. Really--these songs make you THINK after you're done singing alone at the top of your exalting lungs. (Uh oh--this is getting flowery.)
OK, is it clear that this album RULES and you should get it NOW? In the end, it all comes down to "WOW" once again.

Learn To Speak A Little Bit Of Zulu.......2002-08-07

When I heard Juluka broke up, I was floored, the only solace I had was the rumor that Johnny Clegg would be releasing material as a solo artist, needless to say, the appearance of THIRD WORLD CHILD proved the rumors to be true, much to my delight. Lighter and more mainstream than his Juluka efforts, Johnny's Savuka albums are equally excellent. Continuing his passion for missing western and African music styles, Clegg's brilliant, lively music is as good as it gets. Clegg is equally adept at charged political diatribes, love songs and slice of life pieces, but here he concentrates on the political, producing some of the best protest music of our time, check out the anthemic, blood boiling title track, the mournful, hopeful `Asimbonanga' and the excellent, haunting `Missing'. All of Clegg's music is upbeat and percussive, and there really is no other artist just like him. Unbeknownst to many, Johnny was the inspiration for Paul Simon's excellent GRACELAND album, which mixed western and African music in a similar style. Buy and be likewise inspired. The only complaint I have is the replacement of the excellent and now hard to find `Gumba Gumba Jive' with the Savuka version of `Scatterlings', which was made famous by its inclusion in the Rainman soundtrack. Nothing against the fine remake, but `Gumba Gumba Jive' is a track not to be missed (it is available on an import only greatest hits of Savuka, as well as the original run of the vinyl album).

Third World Child.......2001-07-30

Clegg and Savuka are incomparable. The courage of all the band to risk forming an integrated group under apartheid -- a formation fraught with risk -- earns them a place along with groups like the SNCC Freedom Singers and others who braved brutality and even murder to liberate their message of freedom, hope, defiance and, yes, love. Clegg, fascinated by Zulu culture as a young man, learned Zulu and Zulu music. He eventually formed a duo with Sippho -- I can't remember his last name. As "Johnny and Sippho" the two performed coffee houses and beer halls in black South Africa. Together they formed Juluka, the band-predecessor to Savuka. Just as their history inspires repect, the music is compelling. Their synthesis of rock, jazz, traditional Zulu, and township jive moves the content along with clarity and a rhythm connecting the listener to the skies and shantytowns of their native South Africa. I first heard the group outdoors, at Pine Knob, in Michigan almost 15 years ago, when the horrors of apartheid were still an ongoing reality. They were opening for Steve Winwood. The energy was powerful. On several numbers Clegg and one of the drummers, Dudu, a handsome Zulu with thighs like redwoods, came to the front of the stage to perform traditional Zulu mens' dances. To see the black man and white man dancing together, the respect and love between them obvious was as moving as it was dynamic and powerful. (Dudu was later tragically murdered.) Afterward, my friend and I tried to go behind the band shell but were held back by stage security. Band members, sitting by their bus, saw us waiting there and motioned us over. We sat and talked, then they invited us go out for some food. It was a hell of an evening and we talked until 1. The title song, Third World Child, lyrically speaks of the pressures and inducements of the South African to attempt assimilation into a world he is can never enter. It speaks of the separation from land and identity; the connection to the spirits of ancestors still lying in the lost land. The rest of the album is equally powerful. Buy it. Buy all of Savuka you can find. Listen to the music. Hear the message, rock to great music, and honor a superb group of human beings.

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