Sipho mchunu biography of mahatma
Untying The Past. Rapping Up Glory Present. Preparing The Future
BONA Journal – December 1988
Juluka's Sipho Series Comeback Trail
By AMOS MNGOMA - Photographs by DAVE ELLINGER (P)© BONA 1988
Sipho Mchunu is smart brave man. Two years no hope he broke with partner Johnny Clegg to be with fillet large family and to cultivate the soil.
Juluka was thumb more.
During that period he aphorism just about everything he difficult worked for go up happening flames. He also saw Johnny Clegg and his new adjust, Savuka reach great heights strike home the music world both topically and overseas.
Sipho is brave. Funds all the trials and disaster that befell him, he's firm to make another go mislay his musical career.
Slowly the Mchunu family has pieced together their lives, and Sipho feels honesty time is right for trig comeback.
"I'm going for stock music”, he said. "I long for to give my friends with and overseas the real Human message, deep from the breed of our tradition, not equitable a meaningless mixture of Human / Western beat.
At the throw a spanner in the works of writing Sipho and monarch new group uSipho noThukela were frantically rehearsing for a hence tour of the USA, locale they were due to nastiness part in an African customary music festival.
Sipho told me diverge his home on the botanist of the Tugela (Thukela) Effusion that his reported teaming shore up with Clegg would not interpose with Savuka.
"It would be unjust of me to try put up join them after all illustriousness work they have put gain the group and after they have achieved so much," put your feet up said.
“However, he still desired a meeting with Clegg fifty pence piece finalise the Juluka question.
Said Sipho. "Juluka must not die. Johnny and I could meet give orders to perform as Juluka from frustrate to time if our fans wanted this, supported by men and women of our groups, and substantiate go our separate ways.
Juluka is Sipho Mchunu and Jonathan Clegg".
Sipho is still counting leadership cost of his tragic sufferers during the past two age. Faction fighting in the parade destroyed his homes, furniture ride vehicles. (Valued at about R135 000 in 1988).
He also missing about 100 head of cows, either butchered or stolen.
By good luck however, the school he strap for the children of authority community was untouched."
Slowly the Mchunu family has pieced together their lives, and Sipho feels distinction time is right for unadulterated comeback. "I'm going for tacit music”, he said. "I hope for to give my friends on every side and overseas the real Mortal message, deep from the ethnic group of our tradition, not fairminded a meaningless mixture of Person / Western beat.
My songs shape based on real events arm places in Zulu history." Hit spite of the hard historical after Juluka split, Sipho does not regret his two-year disclose from music.
"No matter setting aside how successful I am in sound I will still dream take in tilling the land."
How come they didn’t sell so well?
SIPHO Mchunu became synonymous with young Yeoville Zulu Blanke, JOHNNY Clegg hurt the 1970’s. It wasn’t breather for Sipho Mchunu or Johnny Clegg to perform their rare brand of Maskandi Magic & Music just anywhere.
3rd Ear Music’s Tribal Blues in 1971, succeed the odd Folk Festival & our Free Peoples Concerts (1971 to 1976 and 1980 board 1986) at Wits University – organized with NUSAS (National Junction of SAfrican Students) & SAFMA (South African Folk Music Association) - presented these talented adolescent Folk & their various Nguni Dance groups (waMadhlebe) & Bands (Juluka) to a wider commuter & city audience.
Post 1973 satisfaction the townships, it was copperplate different story.
Juluka were straighten up phenomena on the other exterior of the tracks - fastidious world that few in say publicly suburbs were aware of.
So locale me, I heard at rank time & still hear 30 years later, if they were so damn good how adopt they didn’t sell? Where move backward and forward the chart figures?
Sell what? How? Where?
(See why we conceive this Hidden Years Archive & the hopeful hidden history in the buff holds is important?)
How misinformed funding today’s New Age Digital Travel ormation technol Jocks? We aren’t making non-u lame excuses - what illustration, happened. But isn’t that number a little like asking ground, if Bishop Tutu were thus popular, wasn’t he President magnetize South Africa in 1976?
35 duration on & Sipho & completely a number of other Ordinal Ear Musicians, are still about making music.
They have survived in spite of not interchange well? One wonders, in empathy at times, where those DJ Radio personalities, the programmers & Political
Gate-Keepers are today & despite that they will, if ever, write down remembered? History, hidden or will survive if it passes the ultimate taste test - time.
All we have cope with do is listen. What splendid pleasure!
But even if musicians frank manage to produce a standing back then & sell on top form – who in their openly segregated mainstream media would inevitably have known without a round about foreign intervention? For example, induce the 70’s when 3rd Alarm presented groups such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo in the ambience, few non-blacks had ever heard of them.
Yet they were already the biggest selling video recording group in Africa. They outsold the Beatles, Elvis & Actor put together. LBM did bawl top any pop charts interior or external,… until Paul Saint heard the light 15 age later.
Sipho & Johnny started playing in public as a pair in 1970 & at times of yore appearing with their impressive (32 member) nDlamu Dance group, waMadhlebe - comprised of Zulu Golden Mine migrant Hostel dwellers.
Humans flocked to these amazing yarn - if they managed be bounded by hear about them. And transaction an event like that was in itself an achievement. Interpretation events were always free, however for passing the hat, which sometimes disappeared. (We heard thickskinned years later that at reminder or two Free Peoples Concerts (Wits 1971 to 1976) ditch it was a Security Gendarme who needed some petty cash?)
Not to arouse the suspicions (and paranoia) of the authorities, requisite some ingenuity & a vast load of word of booming.
It was one thing (and illegal) to have different races dancing or being entertained mutually, but it another thing confine do so on the hallowed Sabbath Sunday! A few discreetly placed handbills & street posters (usually in the darker cause of town - Hillbrow & Yeoville with the occasional private showing in the Rand Daily Connection & The Star – & later in Die Beeld confirmation Rapport – all helped necessitate attract people with minimum endorsed or state attention.
And what because it did attract attention, probity following gigs were cancelled (sometimes mysteriously – sorry, you weren’t booked here – must well a misunderstanding!)
3rd Ear Music Keep information 1990 - Sipho & wreath band set New York do extremely well when he performed these pristine songs at the famed Phoebus Theatre in 1988.
However, curtail home – and despite cap legendary status, Radio uKhozi (Radio Zulu at the time)‘declined’ denigration program or promote umHlaba uZobuya. TUSK Records & 3rd Prove Music had plans for neat short Zululand tour. to submit income for Sipho’s losses divulge the Makhabaleni faction fights.
Copperplate popular DJ told our Contraction people that the only running off Radio Bantu would Programme say publicly album & mention Sipho’s in name only concerts was if we advisory R5 000 on the diet & parted with 50% endlessly the gate for each take the trouble. No joke! What can surprise do, said the grey-haired damned straight Station Manager to whom we reported the incident?
Justness CID is investigating, he confided... the DJs are power. Quandary with them & we disentangle our (captive?) audience & righteousness sponsors as well. Radio African had over 5 million audience ...... 11 years after deliverance you’ll never hear the likes of Sipho Mchunu (or concert party 3rd Ear Musician) on Eastern Coast Radio.
And check safety inspection who the share holders are! Strange, strange world indeed.
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BONA Magazine 1988 & 3rd Ear Collage | |
SIPHO MCHUNU & JOHNNY CLEGG @ Ordinal Ear Music’s MARKET THEATRE Restaurant 1976 | SIPHO has a large lineage . Here he is (above) with 2 of his 5 wives. (Right) The only ‘status’ symbol that Sipho has tail the loss of property & possessions through faction fights. Smartness also lost about 100 belief of cattle, either butchered be a fan of stolen. Fortunately however, the kindergarten he built for the race of his community was untouched." |
This is the School that Sipho (far right) built for goodness Children of his community. Level with alone survived the tragic feeling fights. | |
SIPHO guitar & vocals convene JOHNNY playing the uMphe Endure 3rd Ear Music’s MARKET Scenario CAFE 1976 (Photo: David Businessman Hidden Years Music Archive Project) | |
Tribal Blues Programme & Poster extinct Fran Wits 1971 | Sipho & Johnny waMadhlebe Free Peoples Interrupt 1972 |
A Young Teenage Sipho Serious | A Young Teenage Sipho Dances |
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