At the age of 14, Clegg met Zulu street musician Charlie Mzila, who taught him Zulu music and dancing over the following two years. In 1969 Johnny Clegg and Sipho Mchunu met in Johannesburg when young sipho went there to find work. The 18-year-old Mchunu challenged the 16-year-old Clegg to a guitar contest, and the two became friends. Soon, they were performing together on the streets and in what few other unofficial venues a multi-racial band could safely play in under apartheid. They were forced to keep a low profile and their success came from word of mouth instead of through traditional publicity. Clegg himself was arrested and beaten up by the police on several occasions for his activities and also for the band's lyrics. For some commentators, Juluka was the band that had the greatest success in challenging the racial separateness of Apartheid. When performing, both black and white band members would appear on stage in traditional Zulu dress and perform the traditional Zulu war dance together while singing in Zulu and English.[1]
In 1976, they released their debut single, "Woza Friday", followed three years later by a critically acclaimed album, Universal Men.[2] The album's poetic lyrics were strongly influenced by John Berger's A Seventh Man as well as Pablo Neruda and Jean-Paul Sartre.[citation needed] Expanding to a quintet, they released a second album, African Litany, in late 1981. The album's lead single, "Impi", with its pointedly political lyrics about a defeat of the colonial British army by the Zulus at the Battle of Isandlwana, was banned by South African radio but became an underground hit. In contemporary South Africa it is often associated with national sports teams. The album garnered them their first international attention, and they were able to successfully tour in Europe and North America in 1982 and 1983. However, in June 1983, the British music magazine, NME, reported that they were initially banned by the Musicians Union as, ..."since it would not be possible to approve one of our bands working in South Africa, there is no possibility of an exchange". The ban was eventually lifted, with the group donating their fees to charity.[3]
In South Africa, Juluka was also banned by Radio Bantu, a government approved radio station for the black population, which allegedly refused to play Juluka's music, because Clegg's efforts were seen as "an insult to the Zulu and their culture".[4]
The group disbanded in 1985 when Mchunu moved back to the farm where he was born in Natal to take care of his family. Clegg went on to form a new band, Savuka, with whom he achieved even greater international success. In 1997, however, the two friends came back for a final album together. It did not receive the critical acclaim of early Juluka albums like Universal Men, African Litany, Work for All and Scatterlings.
Heart of the Dancer
Juluka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
His movements have a magic mystery
They must have a message and a meaning
'cause he's doing something to me
Please don't let the drum stop beating
I have to understand
How he dances our future and our destiny
And how we became part of this land
Sizodlala! nani 'mabungu!
Sizodlala! nani 'mabungu, helele!
(repeat)
Dlala wemadlalingo...
Dlala wemadlalingoma (repeat)
Dlala wemadlalingo-yo-yo-yo
Dlala wemadlalingoma (repeat)
When you were just a witless child of wonder
He showed you the glory of his past
He weaved for you a dance of the thunder
That shook the mountains and the craglands
He dances the children playing in the rubble
He dances the hollow victory
He dances the powerful people ambushed by history
Chorus
The dance wants to dance the dancer
But the dancer wants to dance the dance
There's a war between the puppet and the master
Between the master and the puppet-dancer's heart
Have you seen the gunfire flash across the news in the night?
Have you seen the bedroom scene in the ballet?
Oh the dancing bear can't bear to dance much longer
And soon the puppet will be the dance's master
Soon the puppet will be the dance's master
Wemagith' ingoma!
Wemagith' ingoma!
The lyrics to Juluka's song Heart of the Dancer express a sense of wonder and fascination with the movements of a dancer. The singer wants to understand the message and meaning behind the dance, believing that it may hold secrets about their future and the land they occupy. The repetition of the phrase "Sizodlala! Nani 'mabungu!" emphasizes the importance of the drumbeat, which drives the dance and adds to its magical quality.
The second verse suggests that the dancer is a teacher of sorts, showing the singer the glory of the past and demonstrating the power of dance to evoke thunder and shake the mountains. The dancer's movements reflect a range of experiences, including children playing in the rubble, hollow victories, and the struggles of powerful people facing the weight of history. However, the final verse introduces a note of darkness, hinting at a "war" between the puppet and the master, and suggesting that the dancer may be in danger of losing control over their art.
Overall, the song's lyrics celebrate the beauty and power of dance, while also acknowledging its potential to become a tool of oppression.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to look into the heart of the dancer
I am intrigued by the dancer and desire to fully understand him
His movements have a magic mystery
The dancer's movements are captivating and mysterious
They must have a message and a meaning
The dancer's movements are purposeful and symbolic
'cause he's doing something to me
The dancer's performance has a profound effect on me
Please don't let the drum stop beating
I don't want the dance to end, I want to keep learning from it
I have to understand
I am desperate to learn and comprehend the significance of the dance
How he dances our future and our destiny
The dancer's movements are representative of our future and fate
And how we became part of this land
The dance is a celebration of our connection to the land
Chorus
Refrain
When you were just a witless child of wonder
When you were young and naive
He showed you the glory of his past
The dancer taught you about his ancestry and traditions
He weaved for you a dance of the thunder
He created a performance which reflects the power of nature
That shook the mountains and the craglands
The dance is so moving that it can be felt throughout the earth
He dances the children playing in the rubble
The dancer portrays the resilience of children amidst chaos and destruction
He dances the hollow victory
The dancer acknowledges the emptiness of some successes
He dances the powerful people ambushed by history
The dancer represents the struggles of those in positions of power throughout history
Chorus
Refrain
The dance wants to dance the dancer
The performance takes on a life of its own and influences the dancer
But the dancer wants to dance the dance
The performer desires to maintain control and bring their own interpretation to the performance
There's a war between the puppet and the master
There is a struggle between the one being controlled and the one in control
Between the master and the puppet-dancer's heart
This inner conflict takes place in the performer's heart
Have you seen the gunfire flash across the news in the night?
The dancer references the violence and conflict present in the world
Have you seen the bedroom scene in the ballet?
The performer alludes to more intimate aspects of dance performances
Oh the dancing bear can't bear to dance much longer
The performer is reaching the end of their rope and can't continue to dance for much longer
And soon the puppet will be the dance's master
Eventually the performance will take over and direct the performer
Soon the puppet will be the dance's master
Repeating the previous line for emphasis
Wemagith' ingoma!
Zulu phrase meaning 'Who are the true musicians?'
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@fidyanjaramanasoa1913
nice song
@TelesphoreArt
Wonderful sound quality, thank you!
@sonnyroy497
Love Johnny Clegg.
@simaoartiaga
R. I. P.... loved this guy❤️
@alisontshangana
Ya me too 👊 ❤
@maymounaly5071
❤❤❤Faboulous
R.I.P The white Zulu
@paulagabrielmircao2689
💖
@soso44
Super
@liezl-marivanrensburg891
☝ 🔝 🐾🐾🐾🐾
🌞 🙌🙌 🍃💛💛🍃 🌈
👼👼👼👼👼👼👼
Happieeeeeee
(Truth is A Lion) Day z 01:46 ⚡ ✌
@paulagabrielmircao2689
💖