The White Zulu who defied apartheid through the power of music and dance
In short: Johnny Clegg was a British-born anthropologist who mastered Zulu music and dance in Johannesburg. By forming groundbreaking, multi-racial bands like Juluka and Savuka, he challenged South Africa's segregationist laws. His life was a defiant blend of academic rigor, political activism, and international musical success that transcended racial barriers.
Born in 1953, Johnny Clegg moved to South Africa at age six. Growing up in Yeoville, he immersed himself in the music of Zulu migrant workers. Under the tutelage of Charlie Mzila, he became proficient in the Zulu language, the maskandi guitar, and the isishameni dance style. This deep cultural immersion was not merely a hobby; it was a life-long commitment that informed his later academic career as a social anthropologist at the University of Witwatersrand, where he authored scholarly papers on Zulu traditions.
Clegg's musical career was defined by his refusal to accept the racial divisions of apartheid. His partnership with Sipho Mchunu, which began in 1969, formed the band Juluka. As a multi-racial group, they faced constant harassment, censorship, and arrests. Because national broadcasters refused to play their music, they performed in private venues like churches and hostels. Despite this, their fusion of Zulu, Celtic, and rock elements achieved international acclaim, earning them multiple gold and platinum albums.
Beyond his music, Clegg was a vocal opponent of the apartheid regime. His song 'Asimbonanga,' dedicated to Nelson Mandela, became an anthem for the United Democratic Front. Even when his refusal to boycott South Africa during the apartheid era caused friction with international anti-apartheid groups—leading to his temporary expulsion from the British Musicians' Union—he maintained that his primary commitment was to human rights rather than a specific political ideology. He continued to perform and record until his health declined, eventually passing away in 2019 from pancreatic cancer.
Clegg's legacy is marked by his unique ability to bridge disparate worlds. He was a knight of the French Order of Arts and Letters and received South Africa's highest honor, the Order of Ikhamanga, in 2012. His life remains a testament to the idea that cultural exchange can be a powerful tool for resistance, proving that art can indeed find a way to thrive even under the most oppressive political systems.
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