From Juluka to Savuka: Johnny Clegg’s Changing Compositional Practices

Johnny Clegg’s formation of the band Savuka in 1986 was an artistic turning point in his career. Juluka (1976–86), which he had founded and led with Sipho Mchunu, largely focused on exploring blendings of Zulu and Western folk styles; Savuka, by contrast, has been characterized by a greater reliance on rock music and a wide variety of world musics. Yet the artistic differences between Clegg’s Savuka-era recordings and his earlier music go far deeper than have previously been appreciated, as I demonstrate through analyzing three of his songs. In the chapter’s first half I evaluate the changes made in the different renditions of “Siyayilanda” and “Scatterlings of Africa,” the only two songs Clegg recorded with both Juluka and Savuka. In the chapter’s second part I turn to a Savuka-era composition, “I Call Your Name.” Contra stereotypes of Savuka’s broader cultural scope, I demonstrate how this song in fact delves more deeply into South African music.