Featured CD - Juluka : Scatterlings

[Duncan Glenday]

Prog? Not prog? Irrelevant, really ... any thoughts on this album? Just posting the review has given me an earworm from the title track...

per Allmusic:

A supergroup that defied racial barriers in their South African homeland, Juluka's album Scatterlings was the first introduction to the band for many Americans. Led by lead singer Johnny Clegg, Scatterlings featured Juluka's blend of African and Western rhythms, melodies, and instrumentation. Clegg delivered his self-penned lyrics in a warm voice singing in both English and Zulu. The title track is a jaunty romp that managed to receive a bit of airplay. The rest of the album ranges from the galloping "Shake My Way" to the martial drumming on "Simple Things" to the pop-tinged "Digging for Some Words." Scatterlings failed to break the band to a wider audience, but remains a rewarding listen and a solid introduction to this groundbreaking act.

http://www.allmusic.com/album/scatterlings-mw0000648801

[Progbear]

I remember when they were being touted as the next big thing, and “Scatterlings of Africa” was all over MTV. It was a catchy tune.

Johnny Clegg later resurfaced with another band, Savuka (remember “Take My Heart Away” and “Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World”?). Rateyourmusic informs me his genre of music is called “Mbaqanga.”

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MIKE (a.k.a. "Progbear")

"Siento que debemos saber para el sueño de quién brillará esta luz
o consagrar una propia estrella" --Alberto Felici

N.P.:“Incantations”-Mike Oldfield

[markowitz]

My older brother and I really got into him, first with Cruel, Crazy Beautiful World, and then digging into Juluka. Great melodies and vocals, with some pounding rhythms. Saw him live and it was pretty cool. Guilty pleasure for my primitive side.

[hippypants]

A fairly nice Afro-pop album with emphasis on pop. It's radio friendly, etc. but not exactly one of the better African/world albums.

[JKL2000]

One day in college a friend and I were in a somewhat altered state, and he put on this album. For some reason it sounded a lot like Peter Gabriel to me, and I got all excited that there was this band who's output was like Peter Gabriel's. I of course bought the album as soon as I could, but it didn't seem as much like Gabriel as it did at first. It's a pretty good album - I'd say if someone likes Paul Simon's Graceland they should like this about as much.

[rcarlberg]

I am a huge fan of Johnny's, have all of his releases including a video performance. What he did, in taking traditional Zulu mbaqanga music and fusing it with British pop, was VERY progressive in my view. He sings half in English, half in Zulu (there's more Zulu on the other, more-traditional LPs) and he incorporates traditional Zulu dance and dress into his performances. Though Johnny is white, of British origin, his family settled in South Africa where his mum taught school to the blacks. Johhny was mixing with, and learning from Zulu street performers from an early age. His mixed race band Juluka defied the ban in South Africa during apartheid, and became hugely popular on the radio and in concert. His efforts are no small part of the effort to end apartheid. His songs about Nelson Mandela and Steven Biko and the apartheid struggle are great tear jerkers if you listen to the lyrics. Incredibly powerful stuff.

Great recordings too.