Sometimes called Le Zoulou Blanc, he is an important figure in South African popular music history, with songs that mix Zulu with English lyrics and African with various Western music styles.
Clegg was born in Bacup, Lancashire, to an English father and a Rhodesian mother. Clegg's mother's family were Jewish immigrants from Poland, and Clegg had a secular Jewish upbringing, learning about the Ten Commandments but refusing to have a bar mitzvah or even associate with other Jewish children at school. His parents divorced when he was still an infant, and he moved with his mother to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and then, at the age of 6, to South Africa, also spending less than a year in Israel during childhood.
As an adolescent in Johannesburg's northern suburbs, he encountered the demi-monde of the city's Zulu migrant workers' music and dance. Under the tutelage of Charlie Mzila, a flat cleaner by day and musician by night, Clegg mastered both the Zulu language and the maskandi guitar and isishameni dance styles of the migrants. Clegg's involvement with black musicians often led to arrests for trespassing on government property and for contravening the Group Areas Act. He was first arrested at the age of 15 for violating apartheid-era laws in South Africa banning people of different races from congregating together after curfew hours. At the age of 17, he met Sipho Mchunu, a Zulu migrant worker with whom he began performing music. The partnership, which they named Johnny & Sipho and then Juluka, was profiled in the 1970s television documentary Beats of the Heart: Rhythm of Resistance.
As a young man, Clegg pursued an academic career for four years, lecturing at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) and the University of Natal, and writing several seminal scholarly papers on Zulu music and dance. In the early stages of his musical career, Clegg combined his music with the study of anthropology at Wits, where he was influenced, among others, by the work of David Webster, a social anthropologist who was later assassinated in 1989. He preceded each song with snippets of Zulu culture, information, commentary, humor and personal anecdotes relevant and unique to that song. An engaged social anthropologist, he not only mastered the theories but delved into the culture and disseminated it.
Juluka was an unusual musical partnership for the time in South Africa, with a white man (Clegg) and a black man (Mchunu) performing together. The band, which grew to a six-member group (with three white musicians and three black musicians) by the time it released its first album Universal Men in 1979, faced harassment and censorship, with Clegg later remarking that it was "impossible" to perform in public in South Africa.[9] The group tested the apartheid-era laws, touring and performing in private venues, including universities, churches, hostels, and even private homes in order to attract an audience, as national broadcasters would not play their music. Just as unusually, the band's music combined Zulu, Celtic, and rock elements, with both English and isiZulu lyrics. Those lyrics often contained coded political messages and references to the battle against apartheid, although Clegg has maintained that Juluka was not originally intended to be a political band. "Politics found us," he told The Baltimore Sun in 1996. In a 1989 interview with the Sunday Times, Clegg denied the label of "political activist." "For me a political activist is someone who has committed himself to a particular ideology. I don’t belong to any political party. I stand for human rights."
Juluka's music was both implicitly and explicitly political; not only was the fact of the success of the band (which openly celebrated African culture in a bi-racial band) a thorn in the flesh of a political system based on racial separation, the band also produced some explicitly political songs. For example, the album Work for All (which includes a song with the same title) picked up on South African trade union slogans in the mid-1980s. As a result of their political messages and racial integration, Clegg and other band members were arrested several times and concerts routinely broken up.
Despite being ignored and often harassed by the South African government at home, Juluka were able to tour internationally, playing in Europe, Canada, and the United States, and had two platinum and five gold albums, becoming an international success. The group was disbanded in 1985, when Mchunu returned to his rural home to care for his family.
Together with the black musician and dancer Dudu Zulu, Clegg went on to form his second inter-racial band, Savuka, in 1986, continuing to blend African music with European influences. The group's first album, Third World Child, broke international sales records in several European countries, including France. The band went on to record several more albums, including Heat, Dust and Dreams, which received a Grammy Award nomination. Johnny Clegg and Savuka played both at home and abroad, even though Clegg's refusal to stop performing in apartheid-era South Africa created tensions with the international anti-apartheid movement and led to his expulsion from the British Musicians' Union. In one instance, the band drew such a large crowd in Lyon that Michael Jackson cancelled a concert there, complaining that Clegg and his group had "stolen all his fans". In 1993, the band dissolved after Dudu Zulu was shot and killed while attempting to mediate a taxi war.
Briefly reunited in the mid-1990s, Clegg and Mchunu reformed Juluka, released a new album, and toured throughout the world in 1996 with King Sunny Ade. Since then, Clegg has recorded several solo albums. His touring schedule was abbreviated in 2017 after undergoing surgery for pancreatic cancer, and Clegg performed his last scheduled tour date in Maritius in October of 2018. During one concert in 1999, he was joined onstage by South African President Nelson Mandela, who danced as he sang the protest song Savuka had dedicated to him, "Asimbonanga". Asimbonanga became something of an anthem for the Mass Democratic Movement's umbrella organisation, the United Democratic Front. During Mandela's illness and death in 2013, the video of the concert attracted considerable media attention outside South Africa.
His song "Scatterlings of Africa" gave him his only entries in the UK Singles Chart to date, reaching No. 44 in February 1983 with Juluka and 75 in May 1987 as Johnny Clegg and Savuka. The following year the song was featured on the soundtrack to the 1988 Oscar-winning film Rain Man.
His song "Life is a Magic Thing" was featured in Ferngully.
Savuka's song "Dela" was featured on the soundtrack of the 1997 film George of the Jungle and its 2003 sequel, while "Great Heart" was the title song for the 1986 film Jock of the Bushveld. "Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World" was featured in the 1990 film Opportunity Knocks and 1991 film Career Opportunities. "Great Heart" was also the end credits song for the 2000 Disney movie Whispers: An Elephant's Tale. In 2002 Clegg provided several songs and incidental background music for Jane Goodall's "Wild Chimpanzees" DVD. Included in the extras on the disc are rare scenes of Clegg in the recording studio.
Jimmy Buffett recorded "Great Heart" for his 1988 album, Hot Water.
He co-wrote "Diggah Tunnah" with Lebo M. for Disney's 2004 direct-to-video animated film The Lion King 1½.
Clegg was awarded the Chevalier des Arts et Lettres (Knight of Arts and Letters) by the French Government in 1991.
In 2004, he was voted 23rd in the SABC3's Great South Africans.
In 2007, Clegg received an honorary doctorate in music from the University of the Witwatersrand.
In 2011, Clegg received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from City University of New York School of Law.
In 2012, Clegg received the Order of Ikhamanga,Silver as part of the National Orders ceremony. This award is the highest honour a citizen can receive in South Africa. It was presented by President Jacob Zuma.
In 2012, Clegg received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA.
In 2013, Clegg received an honorary Doctorate in Music from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
In 2015, Clegg was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
Clegg's son Jesse Clegg is also a recording artist. Displaying a style markedly different from that of his father, in 2008 he released his debut album When I Wake Up. As a rock musician, the younger Clegg has quickly built up a following, with the album being nominated for two South African Music Awards.
Clegg was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2015. Clegg died in his Johannesburg home on 16 July 2019.
Bibliography
Clegg, Jonathan (1981). Phil Bonner (ed.). ""Ukubuyisa Isidumbu", "Bringing back the body": An examination of the ideology of vengeance in the Msinga and Mpofana Rural Locations, 1822–1944". Working Papers in Southern African Studies. Johannesburg: Ravan Press. 2.
Clegg, Jonathan (1981). Andrew Tracey (ed.). "The Music of Zulu Immigrant Workers in Johannesburg: A Focus on Concertina and Guitar". Papers presented at the Symposium on Ethnomusicology. Grahamstown: International Library of African Music.
Clegg, Jonathan (1982). Andrew Tracey (ed.). "Towards an understanding of African Dance: The Zulu Isishameni Style". Papers read at Second Symposium on Ethnomusicology, 24–26 September 1981, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa. Grahamstown: Institute of Social and Economic Research.
It's an Illusion
Johnny Clegg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hum mmm oh, hum mm oh yehum
Hum mmm oh, hum mm oh yehum
Hum mmm oh, hum mm oh yehum
Hum mmm oh, hum mm oh yehum
Hum mmm oh, hum mm oh yehum
Hum mmm oh, hum mm oh yehum ( It's an illusion )
Hum mmm oh, hum mm oh yehum
Hum mmm oh, hum mm oh yehum ( It's a trick of the light )
Hum mmm oh, hum mm oh yehum ( It's an illusion )
Hum mmm oh
Once again my wings on fire
Flapping round your deadly flames
Walking on the old high wire
Trying to keep myself away
You come dancing down your marble stairs
Throwing back your yellow hair
And I need you and I want you
But every time you let me near
You leave me feeling such sweet despair
Going to keep away, away
Going to keep away
Hum mmm oh, hum mm oh yehum
Hum mmm oh, hum mm oh yehum
Hum mmm oh, hum mm oh yehum
Hum mmm oh, hum mm oh yehum
It's an illusion ( Hum mmm oh, hum oh )
To think I can keep away from you ( Hum mmm oh, hum oh )
It's an illusion ( Hum mmm oh, hum oh )
Like eskimoes in Mogadishu ( Hum mmm oh, hum oh )
It's an illusion ( Hum mmm oh, hum oh )
This state of independence I'm in ( Hum mmm oh, hum oh )
It's an illusion ( Hum mmm oh, hum oh )
Like polar bears in Berlin ( Hum mmm oh, hum oh )
When I feel happy, you feel deep
You always go out when I want to sleep
Fire, water, sun and rain
War and peace and night and day
Who can understand
Love's magic incompatibilities
Who can understand
Love's magic incompatibilities
Going to keep away, away
Going to keep away
Hum mmm oh, hum mm oh yehum
Hum mmm oh, hum mm oh yehum
Hum mmm oh, hum mm oh yehum ( Keep away )
Hum mmm oh, hum mm oh yehum
Hum mmm oh, hum mm oh yehum ( Keep away )
Hum mmm oh, hum mm oh yehum
Hum mmm oh, hum mm oh yehum ( Keep away )
Hum mmm oh, hum mm oh yehum
It's an illusion ( Hum mmm oh, hum oh )
It's just a cheap masquerade ( Hum mmm oh, hum oh )
It's an illusion ( Hum mmm oh, hum oh )
Hiding this love I can't evade ( Hum mmm oh, hum oh )
It's an illusion
Can't you see through the camouflage
It's an illusion
Without you life is a mirage
I'm a foot without a shoe, I'm the fuzz without a clue
I'm a ship without a crew, I'm lost without you
One and one that can't make two, carrots looking for some stew
A lawyer with no one to sue, I'm lost without you
I'm the sky that's lost it's blue, I'm the beer that just won't brew
I'm a stamp that has no glue, oh I'm lost without you
A hound with no fox to pursue, I'm a cat that's lost it's mew
A star without an interview, I'm lost without you
The song "It's an Illusion" by Johnny Clegg/Savuka is a poignant love ballad about the struggle to resist the pull of love. The lyrics suggest that despite the emotional pain of being in love, the singer cannot help but be drawn back to the one they love. The first stanza is repetitive, with the hums serving as an introduction to the theme of illusion. The subsequent stanzas highlight the internal tug of war that the singer goes through each time they encounter the object of their affection. The lyrics share that the singer tries to resist the attraction but ultimately cannot resist the pull of love's magic incompatibilities.
The song weaves together vivid imagery with metaphorical comparisons to create a clear image of the singer's emotional state. The lyrics use similes such as "I'm a foot without a shoe, I'm the fuzz without a clue," and compares the singer to "carrots looking for some stew" to illustrate their feeling of being incomplete without their lover. The song ends with an acknowledgment that the singer's life is incomplete without the one they love, as they are "lost without you."
Line by Line Meaning
Hum mmm oh, hum mm oh yehum
Repetitive non-lyrical humming
It's an illusion
The idea of staying away from you is false
Hum mmm oh, hum mm oh yehum
Repetitive non-lyrical humming
It's an illusion
The idea of eskimoes in Mogadishu is false
It's a trick of the light
The idea of independence is not real, just like the trick of light
It's an illusion
The idea of polar bears in Berlin is false
Once again my wings on fire
My desire to be with you is strong
Flapping round your deadly flames
Being near you causes me to feel pain
Walking on the old high wire
Trying to maintain balance between wanting you and avoiding the pain
Trying to keep myself away
Attempting to stay away from you to avoid the pain
You come dancing down your marble stairs
You move with grace and elegance
Throwing back your yellow hair
Your movements are alluring and captivating
And I need you and I want you
Despite the pain, I still desire you
But every time you let me near
When I get close to you, I experience despair
You leave me feeling such sweet despair
The despair is mixed with a bittersweet desire for you
Going to keep away, away
Try to stay away from you to avoid despair
It's an illusion
Staying away from you is not possible
Like eskimoes in Mogadishu
As unlikely as eskimoes living in a hot environment
This state of independence I'm in
The illusion of being independent without you
Like polar bears in Berlin
As unlikely as arctic animals living in a warm city
When I feel happy, you feel deep
My happiness is incomplete without you
You always go out when I want to sleep
The timing of our needs and wants do not match
Fire, water, sun and rain
Opposites and contrasts make up life
War and peace and night and day
More examples of life's contrasts
Who can understand
No one can explain why love has these contradictions
Love's magic incompatibilities
Love's mystery is why opposites attract as well as repel
Going to keep away, away
Still trying to stay away from you
It's just a cheap masquerade
Hiding the love we both feel is deceptive and ingenuine
Hiding this love I can't evade
Despite the illusion, the love cannot be hidden
Can't you see through the camouflage
See past the illusion and recognize the true feeling
Without you life is a mirage
Life feels incomplete without you
I'm a foot without a shoe, I'm the fuzz without a clue
I am directionless and missing something without you
I'm a ship without a crew, I'm lost without you
I am incomplete and wandering without you
One and one that can't make two, carrots looking for some stew
Together, we are greater than the sum of our parts
A lawyer with no one to sue, I'm lost without you
I have a sense of purposelessness without you
I'm the sky that's lost it's blue, I'm the beer that just won't brew
I am incomplete and useless without you
I'm a stamp that has no glue, oh I'm lost without you
Without you, I feel like I cannot stick to anything
A hound with no fox to pursue, I'm a cat that's lost it's mew
Without you, I am missing my natural counterpart
A star without an interview, I'm lost without you
Without you, I am incomplete and unable to shine
Lyrics © RHYTHM SAFARI PTY LTD, Downtown Music Publishing, O/B/O CAPASSO
Written by: JONATHAN PAUL CLEGG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@christopherwinsor
I kept googling: Hup em bo, hup em bo ya and couldn't find this song! I ended up just listening to all his songs till I found it :)
@haroldwhite5761
I can picture you Zulu dancing through the light...R.I.P. Johnny Clegg, anthropologist extraordinaire.
@Fro-fq9jk
ce mélange de jazz et de reggae est un pur régal !!!
@arcajazz
The shit. R.i.p. Johnny Clegg.
@piperlandry6726
Grew up on these guys and this album especially.
@chopaka16
Me too!
@arcajazz
Me too, love it. Johnny Clegg is the man. Rip.
@schizzamerda
amazing