Photo: davidata / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Johnny Clegg is the rare artist whose biography is itself an argument. A British-born anthropologist who immersed himself in Zulu culture and formed racially mixed bands during apartheid, he made music that doubled as defiance. 'Asimbonanga' is not just a beautiful song; it is a prayer that politics could not silence. Holding both an OBE and South African honors signals how thoroughly he bridged worlds others kept apart. What moves me is the union of scholar's mind, dancer's body, and singer's heart in one person. He died in 2019, but his songs still do the quiet work of connecting people.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Johnny Clegg
- Name (Japanese)
- ジョニー・クレッグ
- Reading
- じょにー・くれっぐ
- Born
- June 7, 1953 – July 16, 2019
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Snake
- Origin
- Bacup, United Kingdom
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- anthropologist / singer-songwriter / guitarist / dancer / musician
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- University of the Witwatersrand
Awards & achievements
- 2012 Order of Ikhamanga in Silver
- 2015 Officer of the Order of the British Empire
- 2007 honorary doctor of the University of the Witwatersrand
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Asimbonanga | — | |
| Notable work | Scatterlings | — |
6. Links
- Official sitehttp://www.johnnyclegg.com
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny%20Clegg
Frequently asked questions
When was Johnny Clegg born?
June 7, 1953 – July 16, 2019.
Where is Johnny Clegg from?
Johnny Clegg is from Bacup, United Kingdom.
What does Johnny Clegg do?
Johnny Clegg works as anthropologist, singer-songwriter, guitarist, dancer, musician.
What is Johnny Clegg known for?
Notable works include Asimbonanga, Scatterlings.
Anthropologist — see all → · Singer-songwriter — see all → · More people from United Kingdom →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.