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Johnny Clegg Critical Reflections: The International Scene


This is a bonus mixtape featuring many of the songs by international artists mentioned in the book Johnny Clegg: Critical Reflections on his Music and Influence in various contexts.

Many of these songs and/or artists will of course be familiar to people who were listening to music in the 1960s-1990s, but perhaps not all are, and some younger readers may be discovering them for the first time, so whether you’re memory is being refreshed or you’re discovering something new, there is now no need to read the book and wonder what Jethro Tull, or Fine Young Cannibals (for example) sound like. Perhaps you’ve never heard Annie Lennox sing ‘Strange Fruit’ or Harry Belafonte’s recording with South African artists.

Hopefully, this bonus mixtape will add some international colour to the musical landscape Johnny Clegg found himself traversing both artistically and commercially with his bands, Juluka and Savuka. and as a solo artist.

Many of the songs and artists included will have been for reasons you can guess, while others may have been mentioned for more obscure reasons – but you’ll have to read the book to find out why!

1. Paul Simon – Album Graceland
2. Malcolm McLaren – Double Dutch
3. Peter Gabriel – Biko
4. The Special A.K.A. – Free Nelson Mandela
5. Artists United Against Apartheid – Sun City
6. Fine Young Cannibals – She Drives Me Crazy
7. Harry Belafonte – Paradise in Gazankulu
8. Queen – We Will Rock You
9. Annie Lennox – Strange Fruit
10. The Beatles – Michelle
11. Toto – Africa
12. Bruce Springsteen – Factory
13. The Belle Stars – Iko Iko
14. Jethro Tull – Living in the Past
15. Chris de Burgh – Don’t Pay the Ferryman
16. The Police – Walking on the Moon
17. Depeche Mode – Never Let Me Down Again
18. Pet Shop Boys – It’s a Sin
19. USA for Africa – We Are the World
20. Jean-Michel Jarre – Dulcie September

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Songs About South Africa

Our theme of South African places continues. This mixtape features songs about South African towns and cities performed by foreign musicians. As expected, during the apartheid era there were many songs which linked South African places to apartheid human rights violations. This mixtape begins with those before ending with a series of songs released in the post-1994 era.

In most of the apartheid era songs the name of a specific urban area is used to represent apartheid South Africa more generally, with the exception of Mari Pavone’s “Sharpeville” which is a mournful tribute to people slain by the apartheid police at the Sharpeville massacre. Some of these songs used lyrics to draw attention to apartheid atrocities and supported the struggle against the unjust system including songs by Gil Scott Heron, the Anti-Nowhere League, Love Like Blood, Little Steven, Sonny Okosun, Jeffrey Osborne and Pierre Akendengue. While in “Tears For Johannesburg” by Max Roach, Abey Lincoln’s sorrowful vocals draw attention to the pain caused by apartheid atrocities.

Malcolm McLaren’s “Soweto” and Harry Belafonte’s “Paradise in Gazankulu” do not focus on apartheid injustices but “Soweto” itself was an injustice, with McLaren plundering the music of the Boyoyo Boys for his own gain. Nevertheless, the song drew the attention of many listeners to Soweto and to South African music.

The end of the apartheid era brought with it a new musical attitude towards South Africa, where places can be celebrated for their way of life and sense of space rather than for the injustices they represent (even if injustices do continue). The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger sing about missing a flight to Johannesburg while Clubfeet sing “Let’s fly to Cape Town, baby” as both cities become part of the international leisure globetrotting circuit.

Instrumental pieces by Herman Benjamin, Plaid, Soothsayers, Lawson Rollins, Brink Man Ship and Werken capture post-apartheid South African spaces through music. They can take you on a journey without specifying what that journey entails. Although Werken’s “Port Elizabeth” doesn’t sound like you will necessarily enjoy your stay …

  1. Johannesburg – Gil Scott Heron
  2. Johannesburg – Anti-Nowhere Road
  3. Johannesburg – Love Like Blood
  4. Johannesburg Blues – Les Baxter
  5. Tears For Johannesburg – Max Roach
  6. Sharpeville – Mario Pavone
  7. Pretoria – Little Steven
  8. Fire In Soweto – Sonny Okosun
  9. Soweto – Jeffrey Osborne
  10. Espoir A Soweto – Pierre Akendengue
  11. Soweto – Malcolm Mclaren
  12. Paradise In Gazankulu – Harry Belafonte
  13. Johannesburg – The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger
  14. Durban Poison – Herman Benjamin
  15. Durban Pain – Plaid
  16. Umtata – Soothsayers
  17. Cape Town – Clubfeet
  18. Cape Town Sky – Lawson Rollins
  19. Gugulethu – Brink Man Ship
  20. Port Elizabeth – Werken