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.
Mdantsane
Juluka Lyrics
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(We will fetch the girl I will marry from those hills yonder)
Nginezinsizwa
(For I have young men with me)
Woza nazo Mantombana
(Come with them Mantombana)
Intombi yami ikulezo' ntaba
(The girl I will maryy is in those hills yonder)
The lyrics to Juluka's song "Mdantsane" are deeply rooted in Zulu culture and tradition. The song talks about a young man who is on a quest to find the woman he will marry. He tells his friends that he has some young men with him and that they will go to the hills to fetch the girl he will marry. The girl he is looking for is in those hills yonder. The song is filled with cultural references that are specific to Zulu traditions.
The song talks about the importance of finding a suitable partner that is approved by family and community. In Zulu culture, marriage is not just between two individuals but between two families. The process of finding a suitable partner involves a lot of consultation with family members and community elders.
The lyrics also highlight the importance of friends and community in the search for a partner. The young man is not alone in his search; he has friends who will accompany him and help him find the girl he will marry. In Zulu culture, friends and community are very important, and decisions are not made alone but in consultation with others.
Line by Line Meaning
Soyilanda intombi yami kulezo 'ntaba
We will fetch the girl I will marry from those hills yonder
Nginezinsizwa
For I have young men with me
Woza nazo Mantombana
Come with them Mantombana
Intombi yami ikulezo'ntaba
The girl I will marry is in those hills yonder
Contributed by Gavin M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.