great beat and vocals... - I bought this in 1987 and still like it. He might not be as well known as Hugh Masekela or Salif Keita but Johnny Clegg puts on a good show and I would recommend this album to any fan of world music.
Clegg A Virtually Unknown International Superstar - A Virtually Unknown (in the United States) International Superstar How can that be? For some unknown reason, African folk-pop never caught on with the United States listening audience. Known and love the rest of the world over, Johnny Clegg and his multi-racial band: Savuka released their debut album/cd: Third World Child in 1987. It has sold over 2 million copies worldwide, and is generally acknowledged to be one, if not the best, Johnny Clegg release outside of his first band (Juluka). Although technically classified as `Zulu music, it has a more a true South African flavour. Johnny Clegg also is an import figure in rock music since he inspired one of the most highly acclaimed folk cds ever: Graceland by Paul Simon. Graceland won not only Grammy for best record of the year, but also is Paul Simon s best selling cd ever. Amazing credentials for Clegg who has often been featured on the David Letterman Show. All of the songs are great, and each fan seems to have his favorite. Asimbonanga (Mandela) - a tribute song to Nelson Mandela is a memorable civil-rights anthem. This was the song that Joan Baez chose to sing in the awesome Nelson Mandela 3-cd Tribute- A Long Walk to Freedom. Also included is a Savuka-played version of the huge International hit: Scatterlings of Africa. Great Heart has some of the most powerful and inspirational lyrics you will ever heard sung. This is a great cd to get if you are just a beginning Johnny Clegg fan, and a must-have for ANY longtime Clegg listener.
Good, but there are better Johnny Clegg discs. - I was already marginally familiar with Johnny Clegg via his first albums with Jaluka (issued on Warner Brothers in the late seventies/early eighties) and always found his mix of Zulu music with western pop to be interesting. I found out about the new Savuka recordings through of all things, the movie Rain Man with Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman! A rerecorded Scatterlings Of Africa was included in the movie, so I went looking for the new album.Third World Child wasn t a disappointment, but it didn t sound complete. There are some good songs here, but the production is thin and brittle sounding. So while I heartily recommend that you should have some Savuka in your library, I d suggest Shadow Man and Cruel Crazy Beautiful World above this particular disc.
solid afro-pop - Political lyrics overwhelmed by the catchiness of the tunes.The production sounds a bit dated (it is from 1987 after all), but this is a great collection of hook-y afro-pop songs. The weakest track is probably Missing, but even that song is OK, and the rest of the tracks are all really strong. This is just pop music after all, so I don t think it s going to expand either your mind or your musical horizons, but it s well worth a purchase.
Moving, Empowering, Uplifting--Really! - If there ever were a musician who was not getting enough international recognition, it may well be Johnny Clegg. His music is filled with such life and integrity that it I have this fantasy of playing it really loud over some massive sound-system so that everyone all over the world would hear and love it...mmmwwhahahhaa! But really, that s not what this group is all about. This album is probably my very favorite JC and Savuka album, as perfect fusion of international rock, pop, and more traditional Zulu elements. Much of the subject matter is very serious or political, reflecting Clegg s history in South Africa, working to overcome apartheid. (Think Mandela, Third World Child, Missing, or Berlin Wall. (Yes I know that s not in S. Africa.) However, all of these songs have an unbelievably fantastic spirit, with so much life and optimism and pure guts that listening to any of them makes one fantastically happy. That simple. The album starts off with a burst of strength in Are You Ready? This, like all other songs, is a seamlessly bilingual song, another element I love. (Yes, you will find yourself singing along in Zulu, regardless of whether or not you acutally know this powerful-sounding language.) The rhythm gets into your body and your mind, the words and meldody infiltrating thereafter. Mandela has some of the most deeply interesting and beautiful harmonies I have ever heard, making it even more powerful as an almost hymn-like tribute to South African activists. Giyana is another song with fierce energy, and some of the most interesting lyrics on this album. Scatterling of Africa is one of my very favorites, a king of Savuka classic. The message, which deals with the ties of the human race to its origins in Africa, is a raw, rhythmic, melodious song. It seems to almost serve as a backdrop for the rest of the album, a driving force that connects international listeners. (The aformentioned scatterlings of Africa) Missing is dark and poignant, yet empowered and devoted, an almost anxious-sounding song. (Listen for these words in the beginning: and I was banging at your door, but you weren t there anymore) These aren t really typical lyrics, but something about the way Clegg sings them is perhaps the single most moving moment on the entire album. The Ring on her Finger is the fun song, lighter and utterly catchy, but with that all-important little tangy grain of truth. That girl is feeling trapped by the ring on her finger. Well that s a new way to look at it...now I THINK this song s about some sort of extra-marital affair, but this song lightens it all up. I sing and dance along with the chorus, and the Zulu parts of the chorus make me pine desperately after learning that language. A fantastic song. Third World Child and Berlin Wall are massive songs, true and gritty and empowering no matter where you live, how you live, or the fact that the Berlin Wall fell a while ago now. These are meaningful songs, and Third World Child has an especially fascinating perspective that is honestly thought-provoking. Really--these songs make you THINK after you re done singing alone at the top of your exalting lungs. (Uh oh--this is getting flowery.) OK, is it clear that this album RULES and you should get it NOW? In the end, it all comes down to WOW once again.