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Juluka Duo Conferred Honorary Doctorates

Juluka Duo Conferred Honorary Doctorates

The Durban University of Technology (DUT) conferred honorary Doctor of Philosophy Degrees in Visual and Performing Arts to South Africa’s most renowned artists, Sipho Mchunu and Johnny Clegg, at the Spring Graduation ceremony on Friday, 07 September 2018, at the Fred Crookes Sports Centre, Steve Biko Campus in Durban.

Dr René Smith, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Design at DUT, said Sipho Mchunu and Johnny Clegg are intertwined with South Africa’s history.

“Theirs is a story of the arts, culture, freedom and hope. Juluka played a critical role in inspiring possibilities and bridging divides during apartheid. Clegg and Mchunu are being honoured together in recognition of their collective contribution to the performing arts. There are generations of South Africans and indeed people across the globe for whom Clegg and Mchunu’s friendship, brotherhood and artistry symbolise humanity and unity in diversity. Correspondingly, Honorary Degrees in Visual and Performing Arts are being conferred on both Johnny Clegg and Sipho Mchunu,” she added.

Dr Mchunu, who has no formal education in music, was all smiles at the ceremony, upon receiving his honorary degree, for sowing the seeds of a musical journey that changed the face of South African music.

Dr Mchunu mastered the traditional guitar and the Maskandi music that he had grown up with. When he heard of the ‘white boy’, Johnny Clegg, he challenged him to a guitar contest and that paved the way for the most historic partnership between Mchunu and Clegg. Their friendship gave rise to the band Juluka.

Mchunu added that he never imagined he would receive such an accolade because his contribution to Maskandi music was solely driven by his strong passion for Zulu culture and traditions.

“I’m very appreciative to DUT on what they have done to me. You know what is happening to Maskandi music, most people do not recognise how important it is. For that I thank DUT for recognising the huge role that I played in the music industry and I hope this won’t end with us, but it will also happen to other young African musicians,” said Dr Mchunu.

Missing from the auspicious event was Johnny Clegg, who even though was not present to receive his honorary degree, he was equally excited to have been bestowed with such an honour.

Clegg expressed his sadness for not being able to receive his honorary degree personally but his presence was marked by the deliverance of his speech by Dr Smith, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Design at DUT.

“As a musician and songwriter, through my friend and brother Sipho Mchunu, I discovered the musical design of traditional Zulu street guitar music. As a young boy of fourteen, I was amazed at this fantastic intervention and decided I wanted to become a MASKANDI street musician. Later on I saw Zulu war dancing and was deeply impressed at how the human body could be wired to express itself with such power and passion. So I also became a war dancer at the age of 15, and later, with Sipho, started our own dance team,” he said.

Dr Clegg has been labelled the White Zulu, Le Zoulou Blanc in France, and even South Africa’s Bruce Springsteen, but none of these labels fully encapsulate the impact Dr Clegg has had on South African music, nor the immense contribution he has made in attempting to bridge the vast divide between black and white in South Africa.

Dr Clegg serves as an example of the triumph of humanity in the face of the one of the most aggressive and persistent inhumane policies; apartheid. And today, in a society still coming to terms with its past legacy, he is a reminder of where South Africa can be.

Pictured: Dr Sipho Mchunu.

Waheeda Peters

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