Talking About Music and Lyrics and the Influence They Can Have on Our Lives and Society in General
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Music, a part of our lives Level: A2 Communicative Objectives: Talking about music and lyrics and the influence they can have on our lives and society in general. Vocabulary: Music, Apartheid Documents used: A biography, a song, lyrics and an interview. Johnny Clegg is one of South Africa’s favourite musicians. His music reflects the joys and sorrows of a country struggling against division. Take turns to read pieces of the following biography aloud, and I will explain any terms that are unfamiliar to you. Johnny Clegg, born in Rochdale, England in 1953 was raised in his mother’s native land of Zimbabwe before immigrating to South Africa at the age of nine. At the age of 14, Johnny began to learn to play the guitar. Through his interest he met CHARLIE MZILA, a Zulu flat cleaner who played street music near Clegg’s home. For two years Johnny learned the fundamentals of Zulu music and traditional Zulu INHLANGWINI dancing with Charlie. He was 13 years old when he saw the dancers for the first time. Equipped with his guitar, Johnny accompanied Mzila to all the migrant labour haunts – from hostels to rooftop shebeens. In this difficult and complex political landscape, Johnny managed to navigate a path, which enabled him to enter the hidden world of the Zulu migrant labourers. During this period he developed a reputation as a competent Zulu guitarist in the MASIKANDE (from the Afrikaans “Musikant”) tradition. This reputation reached the ears of SIPHO MCHUNU, a migrant Zulu worker who had come up to Johannesburg in 1969 looking for work. Intrigued he challenged Johnny to a guitar competition, sparking off a friendship and musical partnership destined to alter the face of South African music. Sipho was born in Kranskop, Natal, in 1951. Although he had no musical training as a young boy, he had made himself a variety of musical instruments; his favourite being a three stringed guitar fashioned out of a paraffin tin. Soon he became extremely adept and well versed in Zulu street guitar music. He later also formed a traditional Zulu dance team and found a vast outlet for his creative energies. Sipho investigated this young white boy who danced and also played Zulu street music and looked him up at his apartment one day. A strong friendship developed out of this meeting as for the first time Johnny was playing with a street musician his own age. Johnny was sixteen and Sipho eighteen. Together they worked, though they had to stick to the street and private venues such as church and university halls. When Johnny finished his schooling he went to University, graduating with a BA (Hons) in Social Anthropology and pursued an academic career for four years lecturing at the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Natal. They named their band JALUKA meaning "sweat" in Zulu (Juluka was also the name of Sipho’s favourite bull, because like all migrants, Sipho practiced some cattle farming in the rural areas). The rest, as they say, is history… 1 Now that you know a little of his history, listen to one of his most famous songs: Scatterlings of Africa. What did you think of the song? Listen to the song again while reading the lyrics to see if you understand it better. Johnny Clegg - Scatterlings Of Africa Copper sun sinking low Scatterlings and fugitives Hooded eyes and weary brows Seek refuge in the night Chorus They are the scatterlings of Africa Each uprooted one On the road to Phelamanga Where the world began I love the scatterlings of Africa Each and every one In their hearts a burning hunger Beneath the copper sun Ancient bones from Olduvai Echoes of the very first cry "Who made me here and why Beneath the copper sun?" African idea African idea Make the future clear Make the future clear Chorus..... 2 And we are the scatterlings of Africa Both you and I We are on the road to Phelamanga Beneath a copper sky And we are the scatterlings of Africa On a journey to the stars Far below, we leave forever Dreams of what we were… What do you think of this song? Were there terms or ideas that you did not understand? Which are your favourite elements? Talk about the meaning behind the lyrics. Here is an extract of an interview where Johnny Clegg talks about the meanings of his music: 26 August 2008 Music with meaning Mere days away from the Johnny Clegg London shows at The Forum, SUE NORTHAM caught up with Clegg and co to gain some insight and understanding into the rich music and intriguing anthropological analogies in the songs that have made Clegg a firm South African favourite. Scatterlings of Africa is always an audience favourite. What is the song about? Scatterlings covers the African origins of humankind, proven by mitochondrial DNA studies and the digs in the 1950s, done in the Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania - also known as the 'Cradle of Humankind'. This is still one of the most important prehistoric sites for enabling our understanding of evolution and the origins of our common ancestors. How does the blend of English and Zulu, Western and African combine to make the Johnny Clegg sound? The principle of world music is of mixing language, rhythms, structures and musical styles. While Western music is more linear, traditional African music is more cyclical. And different languages give rise to different melodies. This combination of structure and language together with traditional Zulu dance is the essence of the Johnny Clegg creation. http://london.thesouthafrican.com/living/Music-with-meaning 3 Let’s talk about our own taste in music: What kind of music do you like? Are you a good singer? Can you concentrate on other things when you are listening to music? Can you play a musical instrument? o If so, what do you play? o How long have you been playing? o Are you good at it? Do you enjoy music videos? Do you like all kinds of music? Do you like to dance? Do you think your favourite music twenty years from now will be the same as it is today? Have you ever been to a concert? o Have you ever been to a rock concert? o Have you ever been to an orchestra concert? If you could play any musical instrument, what would it be? If you could start a band, what type of music would you play? Why? If you were a song, what song would you be and why? Is live music popular in your country? Is there any kind of music that you hate? What is one of your favourite songs? o Why do you like it? o When did you first hear it? o Who sings it? Which do you prefer, songs in English or songs in your own language? Is the image of the group or singer more important than the music? If you could be a musician who would you be? 4 For homework, think about the following questions so that we can continue the discussion tomorrow. Why is music so important to people and culture? Why do you think music is important and how does it affect different people? Do you think there is a relationship between drugs and music? o What about violence and music? Try to think of your own examples to explain your argument (you can even bring CD’s or MP3’s to share with the class. 5 .