On September 1st a number of dance teams in Gauteng, South Africa, performed a tribute to the late, great musician Johnny Clegg, who passed away in July. SAPeople contributor Marguerite Coetzee was there to capture the photos on this page. “These are the teams Johnny once danced with – and the children of the people […]

“Did you know I was a falconer?” Johnny had said to me some time ago. “I used to have falcons, you know, as pets.” I remember how he smiled with his eyes. His voice sang with laughter and amusement as he told the story of how he would need to feed the falcons mice, and […]

The Importance of Ending on the Off-Beat is the title of a paper written by Johnny Clegg in 1982 for an Anthropology Symposium at Rhodes University. “Deeper social values have found their way into the dance and contributed to this constant drive for a ‘better ending’.” It’s Johnny Clegg’s final tour. The Final Journey. Guest artist […]

Johnny Clegg is embarking on his final world tour – The Final Journey… after nearly 40 years enjoying one of music’s most remarkable careers. Below one of his biggest fans – whose life has been shaped by his music and anthropological background – pays tribute… In a statement Wednesday, it was revealed Johnny was diagnosed with cancer in 2015 […]

Standing on a rock on the slopes of Sir Lowry’s Pass in the Western Cape of South Africa, overlooking the ocean and Somerset West’s skyline, surrounded by untamed landscape – this is where Dutch entrepreneur Henk Maris stood 12 years ago and had a vision for this place, Bezweni Lodge – “If this is heaven…” Maris is […]

Johnny Clegg ushered in the new year with good vibes and great music at a New Year’s Eve concert at Kirstenbosch in South Africa. MARGUERITE DE VILLIERS captured the photos below… “Each picture has a lyric extract from the song ‘It’s an Illusion’ – a song which I had heard Johnny singing a couple of […]

Walking through an informal settlement, you are greeted by children wanting to show off their ability to speak English, Maskandi music crackling from car speakers, and caged chickens calmly awaiting their fate. Mutters, murmurs and audible exclamations of “abelungu!” White people! Handshakes and hand holding, followed by more handshakes. You pass through a white-washed entrance […]

Flying over the ocean blue to an island called Unguja, I imagined Zanzibar to be a stereotypical island paradise – bleached beaches, coconuts falling from palm trees, sickly sweet pineapple drinks with those unnecessary little umbrellas – but with the influence of Africa, slavery, and the spice route. Water like liquid sapphire Captures fragments of […]

Jesse Clegg launched his new album “Things Unseen” earlier this month at the Goodluck Bar in Johannesburg. Music is both entertainment and escape. It captures moments of experience; fragments of life. It embodies the unseen. It is in darkness that we see the stars, that we dream, that the emptiness consumes shadows and hidden truths. Sometimes […]

Baboons were visiting our home in Hermanus, in the Western Cape, South Africa, today. They were here all day. I suspect the fires in the surrounding areas is what drove them to search for food in town. It’s a humbling experience when you recognise the humanity in animals. Like us, they have family structures and […]

“Jeremy Loops” is a sentence, not just a name. Jeremy records sounds and plays them back on repeat, creating a loop effect. He switches between recordings and voice-changers while playing guitar, ukulele, harmonica and a children’s toy as well as singing and rapping. Nestled in Kirstenbosch National Botanic Gardens, the stage on Sunday night was […]

“Bits of songs and broken drums Are all he could recall, So he spoke to me In a bastard tongue Carried on the silence of the guns.”* Johnny Clegg is a multi-faceted character. He is often given the tagline “musician, academic, activist, icon, White Zulu”. This is not enough to fully illustrate his impact and […]

During the summer months, South Africans gather every Sunday at sunset in Cape Town’s Kirstenbosch National Botanic Garden. The iconic gardens set the scene for performances by much loved local and international musicians. Food, friends, family and famous flora are all on the bill. The series of concerts promote local talent and provide a platform within […]

On the 28th of December 2014 mist like smoke rolled over Table Mountain. A human rainbow formed on the lawns facing the stage. The prospect of rain did not dampen the crowd’s spirit; instead, braais were ignited, South African flags were distributed and laughter was shared. Members of Hot Water and other contributing artists occupied […]

On the 31st of December 2014 Kirstenbosch was alight with anticipation.The stage was bathed in reds, ambers, purples and blues as the sky changed from blue, to purple, to amber, to red. The air was sweet and the scent of mist lingered. The year was coming to an end, but Mango Groove and Arno Carstens […]

After touring the USA extensively, The Parlotones graced South African crowds with a performance at the iconic Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden on the 11th January 2015. They shook things up with a colourful show that had the crowd singing louder than lead singer Kahn Morbee. The band’s tattooed arms, “make-upped” faces and graffitied musical instruments […]

On the 8th of February 2015 Freshlyground got into the Cape Town vibe as they danced barefoot across the stage. They like to keep things fresh with their refreshing humour and extravagant, yet authentic, performances. With songs ranging from Love to Mugabe, the variety of their music and talent is as diverse as the flora […]