Book Review: Scatterling of Africa: My Early Years
Another character whose life and work is intimately bound to the emergence of the New South Africa, Johnny Clegg’s new memoir tells the story of his early years and formative experiences, memorably recounting the first time he ever heard the Zulu street music that would have such an impact on his evolution as a budding artist.
There are moments in life that are pure, and which seem to hang in the air, unhitched from the everyday world as we know it. Suspended for a few seconds, they float in their own space and time with their own hidden prospects. For want of a better term, we call these moments “magical” and when we remember them they are cloaked in a halo of special meaning.
The successes and hits of Clegg’s bands Juluka and Savuka are well known. Their blending of traditional styles with more modern ones had a significant impact on the music of SA in the 70s and 80s. But fewer of us know how it all got started.
Scatterling of Africa is Clegg’s own personal version of these origins. It’s the story of a young musician with an eccentric mother and a profound sense of appreciation: a story of chosen identities and realised homes. Filled with tales of determination and passion, and infused with humour throughout, here’s a very personal and telling memoir… and here too is an account of strange, oppressive and often tragic times in a country spilling over with vibrance and possibility.
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