| Joining him on stage as special guests is Cape Town’s very own Rudimentals. From Vortex Trance Party to Cape Town International Jazz Festival, from Kirstenbosch Gardens to The Met, from Stellenbosch to the biggest music festival in South Africa, Cape Town Afro-SKA Outfit, the Rudimentals are pushing the boundaries of their appeal in every sphere. People of all ages and tastes have been drawn to this socially diverse fun-filled act, whose live shows have captured the imagination of everyone who has seen them. Don’t miss the unapologetically 21st century Pan African Ska party that chases the delirious dance-hall raps, dope reggae rhythms and skanking back beat of vintage 70’s Ska with a brew of rocking Mbaquanga riffs and jazz and blues tones. Catch the best of South African performances LIVE on stage with the multi award-winning Johnny Clegg and Rudimentals LIVE in concerts at the Grand West Arena. The show starts at 8pm. Ticket prices range from R150 and are available at Computicket. MORE INFORMATION ON JOHNNY CLEGG JOHNNY CLEGG, born in Rochdale, England in 1953 was raised in his mother s native land of Zimbabwe before immigrating to South Africa at the age of nine. At the age of 14, Johnny began to learn to play the guitar. Through his interest he met CHARLIE MZILA, a Zulu flat cleaner who played street music near Clegg s home. For two years Johnny learned the fundamentals of Zulu music and traditional Zulu INHLANGWINI dancing with Charlie. He was 13 years old when he saw the dancers for the first time. Equipped with his guitar, Johnny accompanied Mzila to all the migrant labour haunts from hostels to rooftop shebeens. However, Johnny s involvement with black musicians often led to him being arrested for trespassing on government property and for contravening the Group Areas Act, (an apartheid law forcing different races to keep to their own residential and recreational areas). In this difficult and complex political landscape, Johnny managed to navigate a path, which enabled him to enter the hidden world of the Zulu migrant labourers. These men lived in a number of huge barrack-like hostels around Johannesburg, serving Johannesburg s insatiable appetite for cheap black labour. During this period he developed a reputation as a competent Zulu guitarist in the MASIKANDE (from the Afrikaans Musikant ) tradition. This reputation reached the ears of SIPHO MCHUNU, a migrant Zulu worker who had come up to Johannesburg in 1969 looking for work. Intrigued he challenged Johnny to a guitar competition, sparking off a friendship and musical partnership destined to alter the face of South African music. Sipho was born in Kranskop, Natal, in 1951. Although he had no musical training as a young boy, he had made himself a variety of musical instruments; his favourite being a three stringed guitar fashioned out of a paraffin tin. Soon he became extremely adept and well versed in Zulu street guitar music. He later also formed a traditional Zulu dance team and found a vast outlet for his creative energies. Sipho investigated this young white boy who danced and also played Zulu street music and looked him up at his apartment one day. A strong friendship developed out of this meeting as for the first time Johnny was playing with a street musician his own age. Johnny was sixteen and Sipho eighteen. Together they worked, often subjected to racial abuse, threats of violence and police harassment. As places where they could perform were limited by the apartheid laws, they had to stick to the street and private venues such as church and university halls. When Johnny finished his schooling he went to University, graduating with a BA (Hons) in Social Anthropology and pursued an academic career for four years lecturing at the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Natal. In 1976 Johnny and Sipho secured a major recording deal and had their first hit sing entitled, Woza Friday . A period of development followed, during which Johnny worked on the concept of bringing together English lyrics and Western melodies with Zulu musical structures. The formation of JULUKA, meaning sweat in Zulu, was in total contravention of the Cultural Segregation laws of the time,which emphasized the separation of language, race and culture. (Juluka was the name of Sipho s favourite bull, because like all migrants, Sipho practiced some cattle farming in the rural areas). Their music was subjected to censorship and banning and their only way to access an audience was through live touring. In late 1979 their first album Universal Men was released. Johnny Clegg and Sipho Mchunu launched their second album African Litany in early 1981. Although their work had been largely ignored by the South African Broadcasting Corporation due to Juluka s mixing of languages and African and Western music forms, African Litany became a major breakthrough Album for the band through word of mouth and live performances. Ubuhle Bemvelo was their immediate follow-up Album and was entirely in the Zulu language, but mixing Western and African styles of music. In 1982 and 83, Juluka toured the USA, Canada, the UK, Germany and Scandinavia. In 1983 they released Work for All and in late 1984 they released Musa Ukungilandela Juluka split in 1985 Sipho went back to his farm in Zululand where he was born. Johnny went on to form another crossover band SAVUKA (We have risen), mixing African music with Celtic folk music and international tock sounds.
In 1989, Sipho asked Johnny to assist him in recording a solo Album. Johnny funded and produced Sipho s solo Album and Sipho toured South Africa and France extensively. Sipho recorded a second Album, after which he discontinued his solo career. SAVUKA launched in Johannesburg in 1986 with 5 week run at the market theatre. The band was well received and Clegg was offered a mini tour of France. A year later their 3rd World Child album was released in France. The band toured Europe extensively in 86 and 87 and soon developed a strong fan based which began to be translated into album sales. By the end of 87 SAVUKA was the leading world music group touring the francophone countries. Greater success lay waiting in the phenomenal record sales that began to consolidate in 1988. By the end of 1989, SAVUKA had sold over 1 million records of their debut album and their second album was reaching 700,000 units. In an incredible moment on the album and singles charts, SAVUKA held the #1 and #2 position on the album charts with the 1st and second album at the same time, and on the singles charts held the #1 and #7 position with their singles " Asimbonanga " and "Scatterlings of Africa".This was a momentous achievement for the group out of South Africa and in 1990 they received the "Victoires" award from the French recording industry for the biggest selling international artists over two years. They also received in that year the world music award for the biggest selling world music group internationally. In 1990 they completed a nine-month world tour and in 1991 took off six months to rest. SAVUKA went to record their fourth album and this, their last album was nominated for a Grammy Award for the best world music album in 1993. The band broke up in 1994.
Johnny and Sipho began looking at reforming JULUKA. This came to fruition in 1996 when they went into the studio and they commenced recording YA VUKA INKUNZI .
Johnny Clegg continues to collaborate with Sipho Mchunu and they are currently working on a traditional Zulu album. In October 2002 Johnny Clegg released a new solo CD titled New World Survivor , and completed a very successful run of a theatre show, A South African Story, in South Africa playing to over 40,000 people in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. In July 2003, Johnny Clegg embarked on a very successful tour of France and Germany. At one festival, 140km north of Paris, Johnny Clegg played to 60,000 people, breaking all previous attendance records for this biennial event. In Germany, Johnny blew the crowds away and had to perform no less than three encores for the enthralled crowd before they would leave. Early 2004 saw Johnny Performing A South African Story Part II, to sell out audiences in South Africa. He then embarked on a successful three month tour of Europe and USA. JOHNNY CLEGG SOUTH AFRICAN AWARDS & HONOURS
1986 Scotty Award : Master Music Maker
1987 Communication Contribution Award
1987 The Autumn Harvest Music Personality Award
1988 OK TV Best Pop Music Award
1988 CCP Record Special Award : In recognition of exceptional achievement in promotion of South African music internationally
1989 Radio 5 Loud & Proud Award South African Music Ambassador of the Year
1990 FOYSA Award (Four Outstanding South Africans) Junior Chamber of Commerce
1999 Avanti Award Best Music Video Crocodile Love INTERNATIONAL AWARDS 1988 The Mayor s Office of Los Angeles Award : For the promotion of racial harmony
1988 Le Victoire French Music Industry Award for biggest International record album sold in France between 1987 and 1988
1989 Honorary Citizen of the town of Angouleme, France
1990 91 French Music Industry Award for the biggest selling African record album in France
1990 Humanitarian Award : Secretary of State Ohio, USA
1991 Awarded the Chevalier des Arts et Lettres (Knight of Arts and Letters) by the Government of France
1994 Billboard Music Award Best World Music Album
1998 KORA Award : MORE INFORMATION ON RUDIMENTALS The multi-layered musical cake is baked by 8 extroverted and talented individuals who let it all hang tight, where youth and experience are blended into a fiery surge of sound associated with uninhibited universal appeal. The Start: In 2001 I saw an ad in the Cape Ads which read “Ska band looking for a vocalist”, says charismatic front-man Tehobo (Teboes) Maidza, 33, who performed alongside his Harare home-boys, Mbira musical legend Andy Brown and Afro-jazz man Oliver Mtukudzi in this youth. He joined Duane Heydenreych (drums) and Ettienne Harris (guitar) and Barry Clausen (bass) to form the core of The Rudimentals, recognizing the need for a huge horn sound the band were led to Simon Bates (saxophone), Jody Engelbrecht (trumpet), and Ross McDonald (trombone), all of whom were students at the UCT College of Music. They have all since completed their music degrees and are currently music teachers at various schools in and around Cape Town. On the verge of breakthrough, the band added to its line-up in 2003 in the form of philosopher-keyboard player Dirk Meerkotter and the legendary Doc Mike Levy (renowned Medical Practitioner and surfer who played professionally for more than 30 years with the likes of Louis R and the Jive, Zayne Adam to name but a few). The latest addition to the band was late 2005 in the form of bassist Errol Strachan, AKA Bong, the Lord of local downtown (5 x former SA freestyle skateboard champion) who has a 20-year career in music from reggae to dance hall. Armed with a new manager, Clyde Finlayson of Vortex fame, June 2007 saw The Rudies embark on a whirlwind nationwide tour with reggae legends UB40. It was a fantastic opportunity to experience the mega size crowds, stages and sound rigs that accompany a tour of that magnitude. To The Rudies credit, tour organizers, press and UB40 raved about The Rudies performance and strong ties have been cemented between management on both sides. A few weeks later the band played at the Billabong Pro in Jeffreys Bay which provided all the usual recreational side shows that we all enjoy! This was followed by the bands inaugural appearance at Oppikoppi festival, playing on the same bill as Violent Femmes, Groove Armada, Jimmy Eat World and many others. The Rudies and the crowd shared a fantastic time and the press were hugely enthusiastic about the band’s performance. September saw the band take a few weeks off to write new material and plan strategies for the release of their live album/ DVD compilation due out in Feb ’08. Then followed the highly successful Rocking the Daisies festival in Darling, which will no doubt become an annual event of huge impact in the future. October saw the band sharing the stage with the likes of Lucky Dube at the Makufe Festival in Bloemfontein. We played just after him and were in awe of his great talent. “God bless you wherever you may be”. “Rest in Peace”. Their first album, More Fire (released in 2003) topped SA Rock Digest charts while their 1st single, Gangsta enjoyed extensive radio play on both national and regional radio stations (it also topped the SA MP3 charts for the most down loaded song for 7 consecutives weeks). A further single, NOH TV acquired a Bronze National Stone Award for the best-directed video. This album was recently signed up by London-based label, MOONSKA WORLD, who will be promoting and distributing it in the UK, Europe and Asia (check out the new Moonska World Website for further information). The band are very upbeat about signing this UK based label and anticipate great tings from them as Moonska have also singed the Specials, The Selecter and the Toasters. The bands second album, Set it Proper, self-financed and produced by trombonist, Ross McDonald, was released in mid 2006 to rave reviews across the board. It is both raucously rude boy as well as musically refined with airy space dub sitting alongside radio-friendly SKA – pop, a flash of punk and jive hybrid which has been fashioned into a form of Afro – SKA – Jazz. Two of the singles from the album, Radio Skaweto, and London Sux have been sitting 1st & 2nd on the SA MP3 download charts for 3 months, the videos have already been made from the album and work on a 3rd video (London Sux) is due to start fairly soon. The Rudimentals have shot a full length live DVD of Rudimentals and Friends at Kirstenbosch Gardens on Sunday 18th March during their Sundowner Concert. It was their most ambitious venture so far with a 6-piece string section, 7 piece brass section, guest singers and percussionist. They feel it was a unique opportunity to take advantage of one of the most beautiful settings in the world and it turned out to be an evening to remember. Two weeks later, The Rudimentals again swung the audience pendulum and lined up alongside jazz greats, like Randy Crawford, Joe Sample, etc when they played at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, “Playing to such diverse audience in such a short period of time really confirms to us that our type of music has universal appeal on all levels and to all ages, which is extremely rewarding, and a huge honour” says Doc Mike Levy. Their gig menu for 2007 looks like a daunting but delicious smorgasbord including many national festivals and international appearance overseas, and the rude boys are highly amped for their biggest year yet in their already highly successful history. | 
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