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Comments (0)Johnny Clegg, the great South African singer and anti-apartheid activist, is releasing his first album on an American label in 17 years, titled “Human.”
“The central theme of my music is finding a crossover between different cultures, languages, music forms,” Clegg told Morning Edition. “That aspect of my music has always been steadfast. The political side of it did come to an end [after apartheid ended]. After the 1994 election, we were still left with the issue of, ‘What does it mean to be a South African? How do we find a common identity?’”
In his new song “Asilazi,” Clegg examines South Africa’s uncertain fiscal picture.
“There’s been some really major developments: 46 percent of all homeownership now is in black hands, which is quite a remarkable statistic,” he said. “But people in the township believe very strongly that economic freedom has not come with political freedom. On the white side, there are verses about young white people who feel that they’ve been excluded now from the economy because of what you might call affirmative action—where the government jobs are only going to black companies.”