:: Thursday, July 08, 2004 ::

I am a Third World Child

Tuesday night I went to see Johnny Clegg at the 9:30 Club in DC. All I can say is WOW! Hands down, it was one of the best, most energetic, and fun shows I have ever been to. Johnny Clegg is a South African musician, well-known internationally but not too well known here in the States. I've been a big fan of his for awhile, but have never had the chance to see him live before. (And as I found out at the show, it's been 9 years since he's been to DC, so that may be part of it.) In any case, I highly recommend his music to anyone.

Johnny Clegg started his music career in South Africa in the late 70's, forming a band called Juluka with a Zulu guitarist named Sipho Mchunu. This was during the height of the Apartheid era in South Africa, and as Juluka was a mixed-racial band, and sang songs in both English and Zulu, they were in violation of South Africa's cultural segregation laws. It didn't help that many of their songs were of a political bent, either. Their songs were banned, shows were shut down by the police, but they still became an important voice for the anti-Apartheid movement. In the 80's, Sipho returned to his farm in Zululand, and Johnny formed a new band called Johnny Clegg & Savuka, which gained even more international recognition. Eventually, Savuka broke up, but Johnny still plays with a new band playing all his old music.

So on to the show. As I said, it was very energetic and fun. The 9:30 Club is pretty small, with no seating, and while it wasn't packed to the gills, there was still a good number of people there. The dance floor was pretty packed, and almost everybody was dancing. Traditional Zulu dancing has long been a part of the band's repertoire and Johnny was right up there dancing with his band, while those of us in the audience were dancing as well. The biggest thing that struck me about the show was how much fun the band, and Johnny in particular, seemed to be having. I'm sure most touring bands enjoy what they're doing and have fun doing it, but I have never seen or felt such a palpable sense of joy emanating from the stage before. It was truly an experience, and I'm having trouble finding the words to express it. And because of the size of the club, I was like 10 feet from Johnny, right up there on stage. Very cool, and definitely closer to the band than you would get with even first row seats at a larger venue.

The music itself didn't disappoint either. He played some new stuff from albums that haven't been released in the U.S., as well as old favorites. He played some pretty obscure old material too, which surprised me, especially since some of those very songs are some of my favorites. Highlights of the set included the anthemic One (Hu')Man, One Vote, which was a huge hit with the crowd, who danced and sang along and yelled out the chorus; Asimbonanga, a haunting song honoring Nelson Mandela as well as those who died in the struggle against Apartheid such as Steve Biko; Dela, which was a big active rousing number that got everybody dancing more with a call-and-response; and even a request from an audience member: Impi, a song telling of a historical battle between the (victorious) Zulus and the British Army back in the 19th century.

All in all, well worth the 25 bucks for the ticket, and definitely the best Tuesday night I've ever spent. Thanks Johnny! Now if only he'll come to Sweden...

:: posted by Rob 6:03 PM [+] ::

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