Now that legendary Johnny Clegg, will be bidding farewell to performances, sadly, he has agreed to one more Johannesburg show to his Final Journey World Tour.
It was announced earlier this year that Johnny would perform a final set of shows in South Africa and overseas as a way to thank his fans for their continued support.
After an overwhelming response, the muso has had to add another show to his tour to compensate for disappointed fans who were not able to get their hands on tickets before they sold out.
As part of Johnny Clegg Week, the organisers have been running series of activations from October 30 to 3 November 2017.
Fans have been asked to also share their memory of this legend.
This can be a 30 second video of him talking about his “Johnny Moment” – it can be of the first time they met JC, or heard his music, or went to a concert, basically any special memory people have of Johnny.
This can also be a picture (with the story behind the picture), or post – anything that portrays that special moment.
Whilst lecturing Anthropology at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, Clegg worked on the concept of blending English lyrics and Western melodies with Zulu musical structures, an opportunity that led to him coming to face to face with Sipho Mchunu to form the famous Juluka, meaning to bucket sweat.
Juluka split up in 1985. Mchunu returned to his roots, which was cattle farming in Zululand, while Clegg formed another crossover band, Savuka (which means “we have risen”).
The first album with Savuka was Third World Child, in 1987, and broke all international sales records in France, Switzerland and Belgium in 1988.
This was followed by Shadow Man (1988), Cruel, Crazy Beautiful World (1989) and Heat, Dust & Dreams (1993) and then the best of Johnny Clegg and Suvuka with the release of In My African Dream (1994).
Savuka toured extensively in Europe and north America from 1988 to 1993, breaking all attendance records in France in 1988 and 1989.
Savuka was terminated in 1993 and three years later Clegg and his lifelong friend Mchunu temporarily re-formed Juluka and recorded Ya Vuka Inkunzi (also released as Crocodile Love).
Since then, Johnny has recorded several solo projects including his latest album One Life (2007), New World Survivor in 2002 and his close-to-the-heart projects, A South African Story (2003) involving an album and live concerts, have again proved resounding successes.
Johnny’s haunting refrain Impi (meaning “Zulu warriors” or “War”) regularly echoes within any South African Rugby stadium which, together with his song Great Heart from the movie Jock of The Bushveld and The Crossing (written for Dudu Ndlovu, his Zulu dance partner in the Savuka era), has achieved anthem status with crowds in his home country.
Other notable hits penned by Johnny Clegg include, amongst others, I Call Your Name, Scatterlings of Africa, African Sky Blue, Take My Heart Away, African Shadow Man, December African Rain, Kilimanjaro, Fever and many more.
He was born in Bacup, near Rochdale, England, in 1953, to an English father and Zimbabwean mother.
The added show, a once-off performance, will take place at the Ticketpro Dome on Saturday 11 November, where Johnny will be joined by a number of top local acts, Soweto Gospel Choir, DJ Kent, Arno Carstens, Prime Circle, Parlotones, Sipho Mchunu, Karen Zoid and Son Jesse Clegg.
“I am delighted to be joined on stage by some of this country’s best talent who also happen to be my friends.
It is the perfect ending to my tour and the final opportunity to thank audiences for their incredible support,” he said in a press statement.
You shall be missed, particularly those Zulu dance moves you’ve grown to be associated with. I’m running short of words as tears of joy stream down. So long Juluka!
Tickets are available from Computicket outlets R250 and R775.
WIN TICKETS
As part of #MyJohnnyMoment, SLM is giving away TWO TICKETS to the show on Saturday 11.
To stand a chance to win answer a simple question:
*Which SA musical legend will be honoured and also give his last SA show?
Send answer, name and contacts to info@sowetolifemag.co.za or sydney@sowetolifemag.co.za on or before Friday 10 2017.
Ts & Cs do apply!
