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.
Tatazela
Juluka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In a way she touches me
In a way that no one can ever do
Something in the way I feel
When I see her standing there
Makes me feel more real than the rain
Igama lami nkunzi emnyama, ngicitha amasoka
Standing on the corner
There's nothing warmer
Than holding her hard and close to me
Isoka latatazela, le ntombi ifun'ukwendlala
Isoka latatazela, le ntombi ifun'ukwendlala
Itshitshi limnandi itshitshi limnandi njengoshukela
Isoka latatazela, le ntombi ifun'ukwendlala
We're sitting at the river's end
She smiles and says to me
Make my heart beat like a drum
Oh time, time, time, can we hold the line?
Can I keep this picture forever?
Igama lami nkunzi emnyama, inkunzi citha amasoka
Igama lami nkunzi emnyama, ngicitha amasoka
Love is just a dream by another name (Ngicitha amasoka)
Love is just a dream
Isoka latatazela, le ntombi ifun'ukwendlala
Isoka latatazela, le ntombi ifun'ukwendlala
Itshitshi limnandi itshitshi limnandi njengoshukela
Isoka latatazela, le ntombi ifun'ukwendlala
Helele nkunzi emnyama
Helele yangiph'amasoka
Helele nkunzi emnyama
Helele yangiph'amasoka
Isoka latatazela (Isoka latatazela)
Isoka latatazela, le ntombi ifun'ukwendlala
Love is just a dream by another name (isoka latatazela)
Love is just a dream (Isoka latatazela, le ntombi ifun'ukwendlala)
Love is just a dream (isoka latatazela)
Love is just a dream (Isoka latatazela, le ntombi ifuna ukwendlala)
Love is just a dream by another name (isoka latatazela)
The lyrics of Juluka's "Tatazela" express the powerful feeling of love and attraction towards someone. The singer describes the way his lover moves and touches him, in a way that no one else can ever do. There is something mysterious and alluring about her presence, and being close to her makes him feel more alive than anything else. He identifies himself as the "black bull," a symbol of strength and power, and suggests that he is the one who tests young men in love.
As the song progresses, the singer and his lover spend time together, holding each other closely and enjoying each other's company. The chorus introduces the idea that the young man is nervous because his lover wants to stay the night, but the tone remains romantic and passionate throughout. The final lines of the song suggest that love is just a dream, but the intense feelings described throughout the song suggest that it is a dream worth pursuing.
Overall, "Tatazela" is a powerful expression of love and desire, with lyrics that capture the intensity and mystery of romantic attraction.
Line by Line Meaning
Something in the way she moves
Her movements have a certain undefinable quality to them
In the way she touches me
Her touch is distinctive and unlike any other
In a way that no one can ever do
No one else can replicate the way she touches or moves
Something in the way I feel
My emotions are uniquely affected by her
When she's standing there
When she's present and close to me
Makes me feel more real than the rain
Being with her makes me feel more alive than any external factor or event
Igama lami 'nkunzi emnyama
My name is 'black bull'
Yimi 'nkunzi emnyama
I am 'black bull'
Ngicitha amasoka
I test young men in love
Standing on the corner
Being on the street corner
There's nothing warmer
There's nothing more welcoming or comforting
Than holding her hard and close to me
Than embracing her tightly and being physically close
Isoka latatazela
This young man is nervous
Lentombi ifuna ukwendlala
The girl wants to stay the night
Itshitshi limnandi itshitshi limnandi njengoshukela
A virgin is sweet, a virgin is sugar sweet
We're sitting at the river's end
We're sitting at the end of the river
She smiles and says to me
She grins and speaks to me
"Make my heart beat like a drum"
Stimulate my heart so it beats fast and loud
Time, time, time, can we hold the line?
Time is passing quickly, can we slow it down?
Can I keep this picture forever?
Can the memory of this moment be preserved indefinitely?
Love is just a dream by another name
Love and dreams are interchangeable concepts
Love is just a dream.
Love is simply an illusion
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@RaoulDukeSr
Raw,pure,magical power ..Africa, the cradle of civilization!!....one love all
@joadln3953
When I was a kid my parents used to play to me one mixtape, with many African artists, to get me fall asleep. This song was one of them, it was my favorite and I knew that when the guitar started to play I'll have my better sleep ever.
@annickolifant2055
j'aime tout de Johnny CLEGG : ses textes profonds, son courage, sa musique, sa façon de danser, sa simplicité, mais pardessus tout je n'oublierai jamais sa prestation au Festival de Cornouailles avec le Bagad Kemper en 1997 ! a jamais dans mon coeur
@lizelleswanepoel116
Johnny Clegg, legend! This song creates such a Bushveld feeling, awesome.
@paulmabunda4287
THE MAN WHO DEFIED APARTHEID.
@kamvaallan6351
RIP Juluka 😢❤🇿🇦. Pure humble soul.
@samirmukhtarzada8187
I adore this song.
@elbietaljaard2195
Missing you already!
@yacoubakone5036
RIP JHONNY Clegg.
@levygomes1847
What a song!!!!