Juluka

Artist: Juluka

LP: Universal Men

Song: "Unkosibomvu - The Red King"

[ listen ]

Struggling teenage South African street musicians Johnny Clegg and Sipho Mchunu "met cute" in Johannesburg when Mchunu challenged Clegg to a guitar-playing contest. The two quickly became buddies and formed Juluka, but they were banned from performing in local clubs because of South Africa's strictly-enforced policy of racial segregation. Interesting trivia: according to unnamed sources, there was a musical sequel to a popular 1971 kids movie proposed in the late '70s in which several lucky tykes would find golden tickets inside their chocolate Juluka bars, thereby winning a guided tour of Mchunu's family farm in Natal where they would also learn about the evils of apartheid. Unfortunately, things fell apart in the writing stages and the film was never made, though the design for the golden tickets was recycled for the cover of Juluka's 1979 debut LP. You can read a little about Zulu musician Sipho Mchunu here and read a lot about British-born anthropologist and musician Johnny Clegg here. And please don't tape this song, because it will die.

[ Johnny Clegg + Sipho Mchunu = Juluka ]