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.
Thandiwe
Juluka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Iyangala intombazane eshawela
Hawu! inyangala intombazana,
Womama!
Womama!
Ngeke kulunga mina
Ngiphuma lenatali, thandiwe mama
Hawu inyangala intombazana womama
Mina ngiphuma lenatali, thandiwe mama
Hawu inyangala intombazana womama
Mina ngiphuma lenatali, thandiwe mama
The Juluka song "Thandiwe" features lyrics in Zulu, a language spoken largely in South Africa, which presents a challenge for understanding the meaning of the words for non-Zulu speakers. The song seems to tell a story of a young girl or woman who is being pursued by a group of men, or perhaps just one man, as the lyrics use both plural and singular pronouns. The first verse mentions someone named Ingaba, who is chasing after the girl as she runs away. The next verse refers to a girl who is crying out as she is being chased by someone else, perhaps another member of the group of pursuers. The chorus, sung by a different voice, seems to suggest that the singer is also on the run from someone or something, and that her mother may be worried about her safety.
The idea of being pursued, both literally and figuratively, permeates the lyrics of "Thandiwe". The repetition of the phrase "inyangala intombazana" suggests that this may be a taunt or jeer directed at the girl by her pursuers, since the word "inyangala" can mean "weak" or "cowardly". However, it is also possible that the phrase is being used as a way to empathize with the girl, as if to say "poor weak girl". The song's melody and rhythm are upbeat and energetic, which creates a contrast with the sense of impending danger and desperation in the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Zisho inggaba
There's a rumor going around
Iyangala intombazane eshawela
That the girl who is dancing is misbehaving
Hawu! inyangala intombazana,
Wow! That girl is so troublesome
Womama!
Oh mother!
Womama!
Oh mother!
Ngeke kulunga mina
I can't help it
Ngiphuma lenatali, thandiwe mama
I come from far away, my dear mother
Hawu inyangala intombazana womama
Wow, that girl is so troublesome, oh mother
Mina ngiphuma lenatali, thandiwe mama
I come from far away, my dear mother
Hawu inyangala intombazana womama
Wow, that girl is so troublesome, oh mother
Mina ngiphuma lenatali, thandiwe mama
I come from far away, my dear mother
Contributed by Jason K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@maymounaly5071
Beautifull single
R.I.P my singer
The warrior zulu
Forever
@NoNameThoughtOfYet
Does Anyone Have The English Translation For This Song? :-)
@bobdavis4848
In a case like this, you can use google translate to translate from Zulu; it may not be perfect though; I got:
"Specify the section
The girl was amazed
Oops! the girl is insulting
Mother!
Mother!
It won't be right for me
I come out of this line, dear mother
Oh, my girlfriend
I come out of this line, dear mother
Oh, my girlfriend
I come out of this line, dear mother"