The musician and anthropologist from South Africa died at the age of 66 on the 16th of July, 2019. Johnny Clegg, the white Zulu, who became the first white African to cross the boundaries of the racial system. He and his black friend Sipho Michunu together formed the Juluka band. Forty years ago, at the time when the difference was judged by color.
He was the vocal critic of Apartheid government since 1994 the year the government stopped its rule. With his music, he proved that racial discrimination is developed with the thinking, and it can be erased entirely from politics.
Johnny Clegg’s songs
Clegg learned Zulu too and blended it with western music that was loved by everyone. The most popular song from his life in “Asimbonanga” devoted to Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, political leader, and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.
Clegg was even invited to sing the song in 2013 in the memorial service for Mandela.
The last song of Clegg “, The king of the time,” released in 2018 showed how much he wants to go back in time. Every word and clip of the song wanted to go back in time and to change everything back to as it was. Everyone around and not missing the loved ones.
The cause of his death
In 2015, Clegg was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. After this news, every South African was shocked. They all started flooding his blessings to get well soon, but life is not endless.
On 16th July his lifetime assistant Rony Quinn announced his death and said “deep footprints in the hearts of every person that considers himself or herself to be an African. He showed us what it was to assimilate to and embrace other cultures without losing your identity.”
We all are going to miss Johnny Clegg. He will be remembered as a perfect person who fought against the racial system for everyone and called it even to love and share music with everyone. Either good or bad everything has its end, bad things end when good things happen, but it is not vice versa for good things.