Johnny Clegg - Sky People

Universal Men 1979
Track 1 - Sky People
Johnny Clegg, Sipho Mchunu & Juluka
Universal Men is the debut album from Juluka, a South African band led by Johnny Clegg and Sipho Mchunu. It was first released in 1979 and has acquired the status of a classic album in the history of South African music.
The album explores the experiences of a Zulu migrant worker, caught between his traditional rural background and the city where he lives and works.
The album hit the streets in October 1979. The sleeve carried a picture of the two men, dressed in paisley waistcoats, beads and car-tyre sandals. The name of the band, Juluka, appeared as an engraving on a gold bar. Juluka means sweat in Zulu and the message couldn't have been clearer: Johannesburg's wealth and glamour is built not just on gold but also on the sweat of the men, the migrant labourers, who mined that gold.
Clegg explains that Universal Men "was about bridging two worlds. Going and coming. While the worker is on route, on a bus or a train, he is given the time to look over the distances, geographic and otherwise, in his life. Migrant labourers, in Africa, Europe, everywhere, are like universal joints. They are this incredible human resource who are just sucked up by the capitalist system and used anywhere. The system makes no concessions and so the workers have to create a whole new universe of meaning."
"There was so much hardness in the migrant life and yet I experienced incredibly human moments with my buddies", said Clegg. "They lived such a rich and full life with a highly developed sense of humour and understanding of human nature. For me there was something magical and mystical in this bleak life and I felt that I needed another language to capture it and to humanise the suffering."
The album was recorded just months before Zimbabwe won its independence and Clegg remembers, "There was a huge fight in the studio. I wanted to use the line [in the opening track 'Sky People'] 'The drums of Zimbabwe speak/ They roll across the great divide' but everyone was convinced that would lead to the album being banned so we eventually changed it to 'The drums of Zambezi speak'."

[@mambamusic]

Perhaps the morning brings a new surprise….. siyabonga, uwenzeni is into zinkhyulu, bhuthi wami E houghtoni kumnande kakhulu. Jabulani. Peace, happiness and joy to all especially the young ones.
Umfowethu Sipho Mchunu umfundisi mbaqanga enzanzi mama jacaranda uyakhumbula ha? Respect, TO THE TRUE KWELA KING ting, Mina, thina,siyajabulla ukuzwa omculo wakho, bathi enkosi, inKosi Sipho!

[@bobdavis4848]

Rest In Peace, Johnny Clegg! This is a great song with excellent images!

[@bighorizons]

Listening from London... missing the African life.

[@clarkem]

This is so beautiful.

[@maguire211]

I'm Irish and this music calms me beautiful

[@nucker1980]

I adore the song.

[@WicklowOnline]

Nyc