Customer Reviews

Johnny Clegg with Savuka & Juluka - Live! and More...

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm a huge fan of Johnny Clegg, ever since I was swept away from the first listen of the opening chants of his album "Cruel Crazy Beautiful World" in 1990. Since that time, I've amassed nearly all of his albums (just one or two rare ones are missing from my collection), seen him in concert four times, met him three times, and I can vouch for him being a very nice, thoughtful, and appreciative person. His talent is amazing, and anyone who has seen him in concert has not walked away disappointed by his high energy performances. This DVD was long awaited and very coveted by many fans.

The reason I give this dvd three stars, even though I want to give it five, is because of the quality of it. Though not a fault of Johnny Clegg, I blame the people who produced this DVD by second-rate standards. The concert video is poorly edited...and as a result, its somewhat jarring to watch. I've seen concert videos that flowed really well and were punchy, this one was edited in a sloppy manner that's unbecoming of the high musical quality of Johnny Clegg. The old Juluka music videos are embarrassingly bad, and I felt bad for Johnny as I watched it. True, those videos were made in the early days of music videos (early 1980s), but I also have Midnight Oil's compiliation of music videos on DVD and their early ones, while primitive compared to latter ones were still quite good. But, I attribute this to a lack of money to produce a high quality music videos. I love the Savuka videos, particularly "Great Heart", "Scatterlings of Africa", "I Call Your Name", and "The Crossing". I consider "The Crossing" video to be his best music video that I've seen. As for the Juluka videos, I like "Fever" the best. The video accurately reflects the beat of the song and has an interesting street scene. The most cringe-inducing moments for me are the "Kilimanjaro" and "Third World Child" videos in which Johnny is too literal in his pantomiming of the lyrics of his song (such as "suit and tie", "the world keeps on turning" or something like that). But that's a younger Johnny, goofing it up for the cameras. The best feature on this dvd is the interview he gives. Its nice to hear Johnny give his opinion and talk about some of his experiences. He truly is one of the most underappreciated and creatively talented musicians on the planet. Its nice to have any video footage of Johnny for my collection and I hope that a better produced dvd of his "South African Story" concerts will be released, and any music videos he might have made for his "Crocodile Love" and "New World Survivor" albums. For Clegg fans, buy this along with "Jane Goodall's Wild Chimpanzees" (featuring 3 or 4 songs by Johnny Clegg and a short documentary of Johnny in a recording studio). They are worth having for your Clegg fix. And to the producers out there, give Johnny your best and make something of the kind of quality he and his loyal fans deserve.

This concert video of Johnny, long overdue from a 1999 concert in Paris, was recorded with top notch sound and multiple cameras, although you never see one on stage. Those of us who have not been lucky enough to catch one of his rare concerts outside South Africa have to content ourselves with this DVD, but one certainly couldn't ask for better.

Fabulous performance from everybody in the band. Incredible sound (especially on headphones!) Great camera work which never intrudes on the concert itself. Plus, there's a boatload of extras on the disc like early Juluka videos, a long interview with Johnny and his mum, and more.

A wonderful production from start to finish.

Johnny Clegg & Savuka are an amazing band with an amazing history. Their songs are actively political without being obnoxious and preachy, and unlike a lot of political groups they can deftly shift content from politics to romance (sometimes within the same song-"Woman be my country 'til my country can be mine"). The band's one studio weakness is that they sometimes (in this reviewer's opinion) get a bit too chirpy and bubblegummy. That is not a problem on this DVD, because live, these songs are explosive and energetic.

With the full band plus a couple of backing musicians, by the looks of it, the live show in Paris that is the centerpiece of this DVD is a fantastic spectacle. While it's only 13 songs, they are all masterfully executed. The band is technically flawless and full of life onstage, with terrific dance steps to go along with the music, and the band's brilliant fusion of Western pop and African musical traditions has never sounded better. The show climaxes with a stirring rendition of "Asimbonanga" and a charged, fist-pumping rendition of "One (Hu)Man One Vote."

This concert predates "Heat Dust and Dreams" so none of that album's songs are in the set list (that's OK, because "Cruel Crazy Beautiful World" was their best album anyway). The DVD however, is somewhat more recent, so as a side treat this thing is loaded with a number of music videos, most from "Heat Dust and Dreams." (If you're like me, you won't really watch much of these, because the live material is much more engaging.) There are also a number of bonus live gems, such as a wonderfully grainy recording of Clegg's old band Juluka doing an electrictrifying drum-and-dance routine before a packed soccer stadium in the late '70s, and another live take of "Asimbonanga" (this time from the late 1990s) featuring and appearance by none other than the song's subject himself-Nelson Mandela.

My only complaint is that the two copies of this DVD I have encountered have both had skipping problems on certain DVD players. Hopefully this won't happen to you, and this content is worth the risk.

Johnny has touched my life in so many ways. I use his music to inspire me, to inspire others, to help me get through things - from life to marathons and beyond. I aim one day to meet the great man and watch him live in concert. He is truly brilliant in everything he does - from his lyrics, to his rhythm, to dance, to his beats, his energy, and just the feeling that he conveys through his music so fluidly and so powerfully. To me, he is the epitome of what every musician should be. Johnny Clegg is music. He is energy. He is so much, and he is a South African. Ngibonga kakhulu Johnny!

Only 4 stars bc. of the imperfect audio/video production. Nevertheless, an awesome dvd - esp. the live Paris concert. What is it about the French that make them so appreciative of all African music?!

Johnny Clegg is a Zulu soul in an Englishman's body - plain and simple. This dvd captures the sincerity, modesty, compassion and inspirational energy of this icon of trans-apartheid fusion. When white folk were talking and complaining about the injustices of apartheid, Clegg was learning to speak Zulu, make music and dance the soul of the Zulu people. His music captures the triumph of joy over suffering that characterizes this people - the ability to see the spark of sunshine in the greyest of days.

The bonus videos have been criticized for being amateurish. I personally think they are wonderful, but then I am a person who can't stand the over-produced slick MTV videos you see these days. The Nelson Mandela moment wil touch your soul.

If you are new to the Johnny Clegg experience, this is the next best thing to actually seeing the magic of the man and his music in person! The DVD includes a good many of his hits, plus some outstanding dancing. Each band member oozes personality, you will feel like you know each one personally at the end of the DVD. There is an outstanding synchronization and tightness to this band that shows what can happen when you put the right musicians and music together. I cannot even begin to put words together to say how wonderful this DVD is..this is a "must have" that no Clegg fan should pass up.

I lived in Africa from 1983 through 1999. I despair sometimes of showing Africa to someone who has never been there, but with this DVD I think I have finally found a portal to Africa for many people who think only of game parks and famines. Buy this DVD and ENJOY!

FIRST "CLEGG'S MUSIC" (THE DVD AFTER A COUPLE OF PARAGRAPHS)

When I first discovered Johnny Clegg's music (thanks to Jimmy Buffett's "Hot Water" and the George of the Jungle Soundtrack), I was completely enthralled. Clegg's music came along at a time in my life when I needed something "NEW". While the actual songs were certainly not "new" to the world, the perspective, style and energy certainly were to me personally.

While I tend to shy away from musicians and artists who are political or at the very least have political motivations, Clegg's music while extremely political doesn't leave a bad taste in my mouth. Perhaps it is because his "fight" is so distant by miles in Africa, perhaps it is because the languages (besides English) mask at least up front the politics, perhaps Clegg's intricate weaving of special and spiritual stories make the struggles and fights sound more like parables or perhaps mythology rather than at least at the time a living, breathing struggle to end Apartheid, OR PERHAPS, JUST MAYBE those politics were so awe inspiring and important that that same energy and importance could not be reflected by any other medium other than music.

I am conservative (notice I did not say "a conservative") and I believe that the most stable of changes come slowly and in time, Cleggs music doesn't attack you and pull you out of your stable base. It plays just on the edges of your conscience and beckons you to pay attention to a mystery and for you to peel back a curtain to see what's going on.

NOW THE DVD

This was the first time I have seen or heard any music from Johnny Clegg in a live format and I am stunned and so jealous of every last person who has been able to see his efforts live! So many artists through out Rock/Roll and Pop history have had trouble or no concerns of reproducing their sound in a live setting. There are notable exceptions: Rush, Queen (to a lesser degree), Led Zeppelin (to a lesser degree), Fleewood Mac...

Oh but it isn't just reproducing the records on stage note for note or nuance for nuance. It's about adding and trading energy, it's about emphasizing in places that mean more to the artist at that live moment than they did when they first recorded the track and Johnny Clegg absolutely does that without a doubt.

When you watch this DVD you will hear Clegg's music beautifully recreated on stage, you will recognize the songs and their hooks and most particularly their nuances and idiosyncrasies (thanks to Clegg's band and his own amazing guitar work). BUT you will also hear and see a special kind of energy, the energy of someone (or more than one) FEELING WHAT THEY ARE SINGING. For me its not enough for an artist to put on a good "show", I am sure Britney Spears and some of the modern pop icons put on a good "show" but I really must feel the sincerity and inspiration, an importance to the artist... an importance other than just sexual need or desire. Spears and the pop crews out there could take lesson from the lesser known Clegg who else could have said so much with so little as "thread me though your sacred needle". Come on guys, that ceases to be music and is just plain poetry in motion.

If you know or are a fan of Clegg's music ABSOLUTELY GET THIS DVD. You will even have a few laughs at his Zulu inspired dancing and the accompanying conceptual videos (primarily from the 1980's). It is well worth the money...

So why 4 stars and not 5? Well I would have said 4.5 but they didn't give me that option. Simple... I needed to hear the rest of "I Call Your Name" which was just a teasing bit at the end of the concert!!!

GET THIS DVD!!!

- DSM

Excellent performance with incredible energy. I wish I was fortunate enough to see him in person. One of the few I would spend money to see.

Johnny Clegg and his fellow band members have had great success and are still underrated. These are some of the best most interesting, relevant and just plain brilliant musicians of our time and have been for decades. Not to mention his music is constantly evolving and is really catchy. My wonderful wife bought this as a gift for me and it is wonderful. Rare concert footage, interviews old music video that I had never seen. If you Love Clegg and Jaluka/Savuka pick this DVD up. If you don't Love them, you've probably never heard them. Download some songs from Amazon's MP3 files. Start with Cruel Crazy Beautiful Wold or Heat dust and Dreams. I can't get enough Clegg and as another reviewer wrote, I really hope to meet Mr. Clegg someday and thank him for the inspiration his music has give me. It has truly changed my life.