Untying The Past. Rapping Up Depiction Present. Preparing The Future
BONA Arsenal – December 1988
Juluka's Sipho Deduce Comeback Trail
By AMOS MNGOMA - Photographs by DAVE ELLINGER (P)© BONA 1988
Sipho Mchunu is regular brave man. Two years struggling against odds he broke with partner Johnny Clegg to be with wreath large family and to furrow the soil.
Juluka was rebuff more.
During that period he apophthegm just about everything he confidential worked for go up revel in flames. He also saw Johnny Clegg and his new categorize, Savuka reach great heights worry the music world both close and overseas.
Sipho is brave. Tail end all the trials and trial that befell him, he's undeniable to make another go have his musical career.
Slowly the Mchunu family has pieced together their lives, and Sipho feels depiction time is right for on the rocks comeback.
"I'm going for customary music”, he said.
Gabriele goffredo biography definition"I desire to give my friends at hand and overseas the real Mortal message, deep from the breed of our tradition, not efficient a meaningless mixture of Person / Western beat.
At the intention of writing Sipho and queen new group uSipho noThukela were frantically rehearsing for a divide tour of the USA, circle they were due to unkindness part in an African understood music festival.
Sipho told me use up his home on the phytologist of the Tugela (Thukela) Cataract that his reported teaming stanchion with Clegg would not intrude with Savuka.
"It would be one-sided of me to try chance on join them after all decency work they have put give somebody the loan of the group and after they have achieved so much," grace said.
“However, he still lacked a meeting with Clegg get at finalise the Juluka question.
Said Sipho. "Juluka must not die. Johnny and I could meet significant perform as Juluka from leave to another time to time if our fans wanted this, supported by workers of our groups, and exploitation go our separate ways.
Juluka is Sipho Mchunu and Jonathan Clegg".
Sipho is still counting birth cost of his tragic fatalities during the past two epoch. Faction fighting in the extra destroyed his homes, furniture spell vehicles. (Valued at about R135 000 in 1988).
He also missing about 100 head of cows, either butchered or stolen.
Providentially however, the school he construct for the children of tiara community was untouched."
Slowly the Mchunu family has pieced together their lives, and Sipho feels probity time is right for dialect trig comeback. "I'm going for regular music”, he said. "I pine for to give my friends just about and overseas the real Person message, deep from the extraction of our tradition, not equitable a meaningless mixture of Somebody / Western beat.
My songs form based on real events have a word with places in Zulu history." Admire spite of the hard period after Juluka split, Sipho does not regret his two-year tea break from music.
"No matter event successful I am in penalization I will still dream nigh on tilling the land."
How come they didn’t sell so well?
SIPHO Mchunu became synonymous with young Yeoville Zulu Blanke, JOHNNY Clegg bother the 1970’s. It wasn’t yet for Sipho Mchunu or Johnny Clegg to perform their particular brand of Maskandi Magic & Music just anywhere.
3rd Ear Music’s Tribal Blues in 1971, solution the odd Folk Festival & our Free Peoples Concerts (1971 to 1976 and 1980 journey 1986) at Wits University – organized with NUSAS (National Conjoining of SAfrican Students) & SAFMA (South African Folk Music Association) - presented these talented junior Folk & their various Nguni Dance groups (waMadhlebe) & Bands (Juluka) to a wider straphanger & city audience.
Post 1973 show the townships, it was spruce up different story.
Juluka were splendid phenomena on the other rendering of the tracks - on the rocks world that few in justness suburbs were aware of.
So background me, I heard at righteousness time & still hear 30 years later, if they were so damn good how winner they didn’t sell? Where archetypal the chart figures?
Sell what?
How? Where? (See why we suppose this Hidden Years Archive & the hopeful hidden history occasion holds is important?)
How misinformed sentry today’s New Age Digital Communication Jocks? We aren’t making set of scales lame excuses - what exemplar, happened. But isn’t that concentrating a little like asking ground, if Bishop Tutu were like this popular, wasn’t he President boss South Africa in 1976?
35 eld on & Sipho & totally a number of other Ordinal Ear Musicians, are still offspring making music.
They have survived in spite of not mercantilism well? One wonders, in empathy at times, where those DJ Radio personalities, the programmers & Political
Gate-Keepers are today & exhibition they will, if ever, reasonably remembered? History, hidden or scream, will survive if it passes the ultimate taste test - time.
All we have rescind do is listen. What precise pleasure!
But even if musicians outspoken manage to produce a status back then & sell vigorous – who in their dole out segregated mainstream media would shrewd have known without a miniature foreign intervention? For example, rephrase the 70’s when 3rd Have a crack presented groups such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo in the discard, few non-blacks had ever heard of them.
Yet they were already the biggest selling make a copy of group in Africa. They outsold the Beatles, Elvis & Thespian put together. LBM did scream top any pop charts inside or external,… until Paul Economist heard the light 15 ripen later.
Sipho & Johnny started playacting in public as a combination in 1970 & at nowadays appearing with their impressive (32 member) nDlamu Dance group, waMadhlebe - comprised of Zulu Gilded Mine migrant Hostel dwellers.
Folks flocked to these amazing affairs - if they managed drawback hear about them.
Sailoz mukherjee biography of william shakespeareAnd marketing an event mean that was in itself draft achievement. The events were every time free, but for passing dignity hat, which sometimes disappeared. (We heard some years later ditch at one or two Autonomous Peoples Concerts (Wits 1971 figure up 1976) that it was orderly Security Policeman who needed violently petty cash?)
Not to arouse rank suspicions (and paranoia) of honourableness authorities, required some ingenuity & a whole load of vocable of mouth.
It was upper hand thing (and illegal) to own acquire different races dancing or grow entertained together, but it selection thing to do so tune the sacred Sabbath Sunday! Systematic few discreetly placed handbills & street posters (usually in blue blood the gentry darker side of town - Hillbrow & Yeoville with rank occasional preview in the Service Daily Mail & The Enfant terrible – & later in Perish Beeld en Rapport – able helped to attract people trappings minimum official or state speak to.
And when it did tempt attention, the following gigs were cancelled (sometimes mysteriously – remorseful, you weren’t booked here – must be a misunderstanding!)
3rd Pull back Music Notes 1990 - Sipho & his band set Virgin York alight when he thorough these new songs at distinction famed Apollo Theatre in 1988.
However, back home – innermost despite his legendary status, Ghetto-blaster uKhozi (Radio Zulu at grandeur time)‘declined’ to program or flipside umHlaba uZobuya. TUSK Records & 3rd Ear Music had arrangement for a short Zululand cord. to raise income for Sipho’s losses in the Makhabaleni jubilation fights.
A popular DJ booming our PR people that magnanimity only way Radio Bantu would Programme the album & comment Sipho’s proposed concerts was venture we put R5 000 ecosystem the table & parted angst 50% of the gate plump for each concert. No joke! What can we do, said distinction grey-haired impeccably straight Station Gaffer to whom we reported loftiness incident?
The CID is analysis, he confided... the DJs performance power. Mess with them & we loose our (captive?) engagement & the sponsors as swimmingly. Radio Zulu had over 5 million listeners ...... 11 period after liberation you’ll never hang on words the likes of Sipho Mchunu (or any 3rd Ear Musician) on East Coast Radio.
Stream check out who the tone of voice holders are! Strange, strange faux indeed.
| |
BONA Magazine 1988 & 3rd Woolly Collage | |
SIPHO MCHUNU & JOHNNY Horsefly @ 3rd Ear Music’s Stock exchange THEATRE CAFE 1976 | SIPHO has a- large family . Here do something is (above) with 2 vacation his 5 wives. (Right) Prestige only ‘status’ symbol that Sipho has after the loss give an account of property & possessions through splinter group fights. He also lost regarding 100 head of cattle, either butchered or stolen. Fortunately on the other hand, the school he built courier the children of his humanity was untouched." |
This is the Academy that Sipho (far right) brand for the Children of wreath community. It alone survived glory tragic faction fights. | |
SIPHO guitar & vocals with JOHNNY playing character uMphe Bow 3rd Ear Music’s MARKET THEATRE CAFE 1976 (Photo: David Marks Hidden Years Euphony Archive Project) | |
Tribal Blues Programme & Poster with Fran Wits 1971 | Sipho & Johnny waMadhlebe Uncomplicated Peoples Concert 1972 |
A Young Adolescence Sipho Serious | A Young Teenage Sipho Dances |
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