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.
Kwela Man
Juluka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Kwela man, singing under the street light
A cheap guitar, he gave his sorrow a smile
And he sowed his songs in the alley ways mile upon mile
Ye hum ho la lo Kwela man
Ye hum ho la la Kwela, Kwela
Ye hum ho la lo Kwela man
Ye hum ho la lo Kwela man
Ye hum ho la la Kwela, Kwela
Ye hum ho la lo Kwela man
You gave it your life
Living low with the Pennywhistle, tea-chest base gang
I followed him home and he danced as he sang
But now he's gone, not even the slightest traces
Of a Kwela song and the street is full of empty spaces
Ye hum ho la lo Kwela man
Ye hum ho la la Kwela, Kwela
Ye hum ho la lo Kwela man
You gave it your life
Ye hum ho la lo Kwela man
Ye hum ho la la Kwela, Kwela
Ye hum ho la lo Kwela man
You gave it your life
Nobody knows, did he survive the winding road?
Did he find a song that took him back to the heartland?
Here I stand, lost in the memory
Of a Kwela man, singing in the long gone twilight
When I followed you home Kwela man
You filled my soul, Kwela, Kwela
When you sang your song Kwela man
You gave it your life
Ye hum ho la lo Kwela man
Ye hum ho la la Kwela, Kwela
Ye hum ho la lo Kwela man
You gave it your life
Ye hum ho la lo Kwela man
Ye hum ho la la Kwela, Kwela
Ye hum ho la lo Kwela man
You gave it your life
Ye hum ho la lo Kwela man
Ye hum ho la la Kwela, Kwela
Ye hum ho la lo Kwela man
You gave it your life
Ye hum ho la lo Kwela man
Ye hum ho la la Kwela, Kwela
Ye hum ho la lo Kwela man
You gave it your life
Ye hum ho la lo Kwela man
Ye hum ho la la Kwela, Kwela
Ye hum ho la lo Kwela man
The Juluka song "Kwela Man" tells the story of a talented musician who plays his cheap guitar and sings his heart out under the street light. He spreads his music throughout the alleyways and empty spaces of the city with his humble pennywhistle and tea-chest bass band. The song speaks fondly of the Kwela Man, lamenting his absence from the streets and the empty spaces he left behind.
The singer wonders if the Kwela Man survived his winding road, and if he found a song that took him back to the heartland. The song ends on a sweet note of memory as the singer recalls the soul-stirring music that the Kwela Man gave to his life.
The "Kwela" style of music that the song celebrates was born in the 1950s in the townships and cities of South Africa. Kwela music comes from a mixture of traditional styles like Zulu and Xhosa music and influences from Western jazz and swing. In the song, the Kwela Man plays his pennywhistle, which is a staple of Kwela music, along with his guitar and tea-chest bass.
Line by Line Meaning
Long ago there was a sound in the night
The song is a remembrance of an artist in the past who had a unique sound
Kwela man, singing under the street light
The artist was known as the 'Kwela man' and was often found singing in public spaces under street lights
A cheap guitar, he gave his sorrow a smile
Despite not having the best equipment, the Kwela man still managed to find joy in his songs
And he sowed his songs in the alley ways mile upon mile
The artist's music could be heard throughout the streets and alleys, spreading far and wide
Ye hum ho la lo Kwela man
This is a refrain repeated throughout the song as a tribute to the Kwela man's music and legacy
You gave it your life
The artist gave his all to his music, dedicating his life to creating and sharing his songs
Living low with the Pennywhistle, tea-chest base gang
The Kwela man was part of a group of musicians who used unconventional instruments like pennywhistles and tea-chest basses
I followed him home and he danced as he sang
The artist of the song had the opportunity to witness the Kwela man's music firsthand, experiencing the joy he brought to his songs
But now he's gone, not even the slightest traces
The Kwela man has passed away and his music and presence are no longer felt in the streets
Of a Kwela song and the street is full of empty spaces
His absence has left a void in the community and in the music scene
Nobody knows, did he survive the winding road?
The Kwela man's fate is unknown, and it is unclear if he continued to create music until his final days
Did he find a song that took him back to the heartland?
There is a possibility that the Kwela man found a way to reconnect with his roots through music before his passing
Here I stand, lost in the memory
The singer of the song is now left with only memories of the Kwela man and his music
When you sang your song Kwela man
The singer recalls the sound and impact of the Kwela man's music on their soul
Lyrics © RHYTHM SAFARI PTY LTD, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Jonathan Paul Clegg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@innovativeembassy969
Who's here in 2023
@lunawytch526
This was the first album I bought on my trip to SA in 83.💜
@9700jb
This is one of my favorite Juluka songs. Johnny tells his own story of how he fell in love with the music. So rocking!
@martyne3325
"When I followed your music [Kwela man], it filled my soul [Kwela Kwela], When you sang your songs [Kwela man
], You gave it your life" :'( RIP Johnny Thank YOU for the music <3
@krismctopher7
What a solid song. I wouldn't add or remove a thing. Just perfect! The Kwela woodwind is so brilliant.
@sunpulsekk
We need more songs like this, celebrating people who followed what they love, for just that.
@ChakaFerry
R.I.P. Johnny Clegg VOICE & TRUE SPIRIT OF SOUTH AFRICA :-(
@neoyt5081
Awe dawg