Small fish in a big pond: Johnny Clegg in the USA

Johnny Clegg is one of the greatest South African musicians with an ability to sell out venues of thousands. He's appeared with some of thegreatest musicians on stages throughout the world.

His songs have been used in movies throughout the world, from Jock of the Bushveld to George of the Jungle.

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He's appeared onstage with Nelson Mandela, for goodness sake. (Admittedly, he did write a song about him)

And I've seen him twice in the US at venues holding 300 people.

First time was at the Great American Music Hall in downtown SF, a venue with a great history of high quality acts, with a 14 piece group.

The second was in the hills of Palo Alto at Montalvo Arts Center, a beautiful venue in a colonial house on a hill. This is one of the few music venues without the smell of skunk throughout, though some of the superannuated audience looked like they'd imbibed in the not to distant past. Instead of a raucous beer garden there was a wine table. And instead of hot dogs, kale.

He appeared here with a smaller 5 man band and featured his talented son in an unexpectedly good opening act. And this pensioner is fitter than most people half his age, strutting within the confines of the stage with total spacial confidence. He's still touring for... I don't know why. Is it the exposure? The money? Or could it possibly be that he actually enjoys it?

The audience here was not a youthful splurge, but a smattering of scatterlings.  Looking at this I realize that he's been with me most of my life; from my early university days at the Free People concerts through Ellis Park concerts to the most recent ones in the US.

More importantly, he's been there through South Africa's changes as a constant to look back on and help carry people through the present. He is the true gatherer of the scatterlings of Africa.

Small fish in a large pond

Johnny Clegg is one of the greatest South African musicians with an ability to sell out venues of thousands. He's appeared with some of thegreatest musicians on stages throughout the world. His songs have been used in movies throughout the world, from Jock of the Bushveld to George of the Jungle. He's appeared onstage with Nelson Mandela, for goodness sake. (Admittedly, he did write a song about him) And I've seen him twice in the US at venues holding 300 people. First time was at the Great American Music Hall in downtown SF, a venue with a great history of high quality acts, with a 14 piece group. The second was in the hills of Palo Alto at Montalvo Arts Center, a beautiful venue in a colonial house on a hill. This is one of the few music venues without the smell of skunk throughout, though some of the superannuated audience looked like they'd imbibed in the not to distant past. Instead of a raucous beer garden there was a wine table. And instead of hot dogs, kale. He appeared here with a smaller 5 man band and featured his talented son in an unexpectedly good opening act. And this pensioner is fitter than most people half his age, strutting within the confines of the stage with total spacial confidence. He's still touring for... I don't know why. Is it the exposure? The money? Or could it possibly be that he actually enjoys it? The audience here was not a youthful splurge, but a smattering of scatterlings. Looking at this I realize that he's been with me most of my life; from my early university days at the Free People concerts through Ellis Park concerts to the most recent ones in the US. More importantly, he's been there through South Africa's changes as a constant to look back on and help carry people through the present. He is the true gatherer of the scatterlings of Africa.