| 1. Kwela Man |
| 2. Africa |
| 3. Akanaki Nokunaka |
| 4. Deliwe |
| 5. Jerusalema |
| 6. Izinhlobo Nezinhlobo Zabantu |
| 7. Work for All |
| 8. Zingane Zami |
| 9. Two Humans on the Run |
| 10. Heart of the Dancer |
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
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
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 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.
One minor quibble: why are all the pictures of Johnny? I want to see Andy, Barry, Mandisa!
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.
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.
But buy this album - then buy the rest.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
"A Johnny Clegg&Juluka Collection" has songs ranging from 1979 to the early '80s,and yet the music remains timely."Two Humans on the Run" sounds hip and current with its mix of jazz and rock,though it's from 1983. "Kwela Man" is a tribute to South African roots pop,joyful and frothy. "Africa" is an ode to the troubled nation,singing of a man who cannot "trust even a stone." The songs "Akanaki Nokunaka" and "Work for All" are technically political songs;though they have messages,they are powerful and beautiful. "Jarusalema" is an anthemic South African gospel song.The closing "Heart of the Dancer" is a sweet ballad.
This album is perfect for any African collection!It's very accessible.
By listening to this album alone, you won't get a balanced feel for the music of Juluka, however I don't believe this was intended to be a best of, but more like a compilation of lesser known tracks, including the beautiful "Deliwe" from period 79 to 84, songs that are not included in any other compilations.
A good companion for this album would be : " The Best of Juluka"
Even the two albums combined leave out a bunch of other excellent stuff like :- "Digging For Some Words" and "Kilamanjaro" and many others. The two albums together would just be an excellent introduction to Juluka, but...
I have to tell you, in case you've become hooked and frustrated at all the "out of stock" Juluka cd's, don't fret - with a little surfing, you will be happy to find ANY & EVERY Juluka, Savuka and Clegg CD there is, really easily and CHEAPLY from South Africa and also from other European countries, most notably France and Germany. Enjoy.
THIS IS REAL MUSIC! That's what I think every time I listen to Johnny Clegg. WOW! The songs are exhilerating and true to South African roots, but innovative at the same time. For Juluka I would reccomend this compilation, although for Savuka I would say go ahead and buy individual albums. (By the way, Johnny Clegg and Savuka is AMAZING, different from Juluka but not TOO different, new and fascinating though!)
So, I hope that made some sense, as you can see I'm very excited about this underappreciated artist. Listen to this album or whatever you can get by him, dance to it, scream to it and laugh and sing along--whatever you do you won't regret it!
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
Johnny Clegg & Juluka Collection,Johnny Clegg,Putumayo World Music,Africa,Afro-Pop,Mbaqanga,Pop,Rock,South Africa,South African Pop,World Music,Worldbeat,Zulu
Average customer rating: 
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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
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ASIN: B000I5YROM Release Date: 2006-10-16 |
Tracks:
- Daughter of Eden
- Jongosi
- Makhabeleni
- Thamela-Die Son Trek Water
- Revolution Will Eat Its Children (Anthem for Uncle Bob)
- Utshani Obulele
- Faut Pas Baisser Les Bras
- Devana
- Bull Heart
- Day in the Life
- Boy Soldier
- Touch the Sun
- 4 Box Square
- I Don't Want to Be Away
- Locked and Loaded
- Utshani Obulele [Zulu Version]
Customer Reviews:
Great Job, Johnny!.......2007-05-24
Welcome Back!.......2007-04-11
Johnny is fantastic!!.......2007-02-22
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
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
One minor quibble: why are all the pictures of Johnny? I want to see Andy, Barry, Mandisa!
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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
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ASIN: B00000DRAQ Release Date: 1990-03-16 |
Tracks:
- One (Hu)'man One Vote
- Cruel Crazy Beautiful World
- Jericho
- Dela (I Know Why The Dog Howls At The Moon)
- Moliva
- It's An Illusion
- Bombs Away
- Woman Be My Country
- Rolling Ocean
- Warsaw 1943 (I Never Betrayed The Revolution)
- Vezandlebe
Customer Reviews:
Excellent!.......2005-07-21
Cruel Crazy Beautiful World is Johnny Clegg's best........2005-07-07
My favorite album of all time!.......2004-07-23
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
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
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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
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ASIN: B000006XNL Release Date: 1995-01-19 |
Tracks:
- Human Rainbow
- Talk To The People
- Too Early For The Sky
- I Call Your Name
- Take My Heart Away
- The Waiting
- African Shadow Man
- Dance Across The Centuries
- Joey Don't Do It
- 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
"Dance A Living Memory".......2003-11-04
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
One of the most overlooked bands in the world.......2001-06-15
Five Stars Isn't Enough.......2000-12-07
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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
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ASIN: B0001M4E22 Release Date: 2004-05-24 |
Tracks:
- Bullets for Bafazana
- I Call Your Name
- Giyani
- Into the Picture
- Crossing
- Colours of Change
- Great Heart
- Cruel Crazy Beautiful World
- Impi
- Scatterlings of Africa
- Tatazela
- Dela
- December African Rain
- Umfazi Omadala
- Asimbonanga
Customer Reviews:
Johnny Clegg Best of Live.......2006-01-02
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
But buy this album - then buy the rest.
Fabulous live CD.......2004-07-11
Average customer rating:
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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
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ASIN: B000008ECV Release Date: 1999-02-08 |
Tracks:
- These Days
- Crossing
- I Can Never Be (What You Want Me to Be)
- Tough Enough
- Promise
- Inevitable Consequence of Progress
- In My African Dream
- Emotional Allegiance (Stand by Me)
- Foreign Nights (Working Dog in Babylon)
- Your Time Will Come
- Your Time Will Come - Johnny Clegg
Customer Reviews:
Sadly, the last Savuka album, possibly Johnny Clegg's last strong offering.......2006-08-08
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
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
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
more solid afro-pop.......2003-04-18
Average customer rating: 
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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
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ASIN: B00008UZO9 Release Date: 2003-03-31 |
Tracks:
- 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
Customer Reviews:
Totally Agree.......2006-09-08
Great CD but...........2006-08-20
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: 
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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:
ASIN: B00004UQCF Release Date: 2002-03-04 |
Tracks:
- Scatterlings Of Africa
- Great Heart
- Asimbonanga (Mandela)
- Giyana
- I Call Your Name
- Take My Heart Away
- African Shadow Man
- Cruel Crazy Beautiful World
- One Hu Man One Vote
- Dela
- These Days
- The Crossing Osiyeza
- In My African Dream
- Gumba Gumba Jive
- Lost Girl
- Shine A Light
- 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:
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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:
ASIN: B000006V36 Release Date: 1990-10-25 |
Tracks:
- Are You Ready?
- Asimbonanga (Mandela)
- Giyani
- Scatterlings Of Africa
- Great Heart
- Missing
- Ring On Her Finger
- Third World Child
- Berlin Wall
- Don't Walk Away
Customer Reviews:
Good, but there are better Johnny Clegg discs........2003-11-04
"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
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
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
Third World Child.......2001-07-30
Average customer rating:
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In My African Dream
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:
ASIN: B000026X1J Release Date: 1999-07-15 |
Tracks:
- Orphans of the Empire
- Scatterlings of Africa
- Great Heart
- Asimbonanga
- Ibhola Lethu
- Dela
- Siyayilanda
- One (Hu) 'Man One Vote
- Crossing
- Take My Heart Away
- Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World
- I Call Your Name
- In My African Dream
- These Days
- Touch Enough
- Africa (What Made You So Strong) [#]
Album Details
1994 Release Originally on the Rhythm Safari Label and Later on Priority. 16 Track Collection from the Acclaimed South African Artist Now Out of Print in the USA.Customer Reviews:
Good Introduction to Johnny Clegg.......2004-04-13
Ama Johnny Clegg!.......2000-06-21
Average customer rating:
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Johnny Clegg & Juluka Collection
Johnny Clegg Manufacturer: Putumayo World Music 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
General
| International
| Indie Music
| Stores
| Music
Africa
| International
| Indie Music
| Stores
| Music
Dance & DJ
| Putumayo World Music Store
| Amazon.com Label Stores
| Stores
| Music
International
| Putumayo World Music Store
| Amazon.com Label Stores
| Stores
| Music
Similar Items:
ASIN: B000003EJX Release Date: 1996-07-02 |
Tracks:
- Kwela Man
- Africa
- Akanaki Nokunaka
- Deliwe
- Jarusalema
- Izinhlobo Nezinhlobo Zabantu
- Work For All
- Zingane Zami
- Two Humans On The Run
- Heart Of The Dancer
Amazon.com
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 RodenCustomer Reviews:
Finding unity in music.......2007-03-21
"A Johnny Clegg&Juluka Collection" has songs ranging from 1979 to the early '80s,and yet the music remains timely."Two Humans on the Run" sounds hip and current with its mix of jazz and rock,though it's from 1983. "Kwela Man" is a tribute to South African roots pop,joyful and frothy. "Africa" is an ode to the troubled nation,singing of a man who cannot "trust even a stone." The songs "Akanaki Nokunaka" and "Work for All" are technically political songs;though they have messages,they are powerful and beautiful. "Jarusalema" is an anthemic South African gospel song.The closing "Heart of the Dancer" is a sweet ballad.
This album is perfect for any African collection!It's very accessible.
Compilation of Lesser Known Juluka.......2004-08-19
By listening to this album alone, you won't get a balanced feel for the music of Juluka, however I don't believe this was intended to be a best of, but more like a compilation of lesser known tracks, including the beautiful "Deliwe" from period 79 to 84, songs that are not included in any other compilations.
A good companion for this album would be : " The Best of Juluka"
Even the two albums combined leave out a bunch of other excellent stuff like :- "Digging For Some Words" and "Kilamanjaro" and many others. The two albums together would just be an excellent introduction to Juluka, but...
I have to tell you, in case you've become hooked and frustrated at all the "out of stock" Juluka cd's, don't fret - with a little surfing, you will be happy to find ANY & EVERY Juluka, Savuka and Clegg CD there is, really easily and CHEAPLY from South Africa and also from other European countries, most notably France and Germany. Enjoy.
Wow.......2002-10-31
THIS IS REAL MUSIC! That's what I think every time I listen to Johnny Clegg. WOW! The songs are exhilerating and true to South African roots, but innovative at the same time. For Juluka I would reccomend this compilation, although for Savuka I would say go ahead and buy individual albums. (By the way, Johnny Clegg and Savuka is AMAZING, different from Juluka but not TOO different, new and fascinating though!)
So, I hope that made some sense, as you can see I'm very excited about this underappreciated artist. Listen to this album or whatever you can get by him, dance to it, scream to it and laugh and sing along--whatever you do you won't regret it!
The best CD we have.......2002-03-26
I love Johnny Clegg's Music.......2000-02-13
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