So long and thanks for all the music

Tfarewell to one of South Africa’s most beloved icons, musicians and all-round cool guy. Johnny Clegg has decided to remove his gumboots, de-string his guitar and say a final goodbye to his onstage career as he finalises his last world tour and heads home.

By helping to co-form two interracial bands, Clegg has been a prolific guiding light for those seeking alternative fellowships for a deeper understanding of their fellow man’s culture and creed.

He proved to the rest of the world, during the height of the apartheid government’s draconian rule, that there was still hope for a future

South Africa of mutual understanding, through a shared love of music.

Clegg’s many talents, awards and milestones throughout his career do not need to be listed in this humble column as this “white Zulu” and his iconic brand are recognised and celebrated internationally.

And I think he has become such a beloved figure and celebrated representation of a new tomorrow (even at the ripe “old” age of 64) because there has always been such a youthful innocence and sense of joy through not only his curiosity and natural inclination to want to collaborate with the sounds that surround him (even if those voices were once banned), but because he and his fellow compatriots of mentors and new musicians just make such great music.

Clegg, unfortunately, has pancreatic cancer (at the time of writing he was in remission) and has made the decision to end his career in a jovial retrospective, including hits from the past four decades of his career before settling down.

We wish him and his family much love and power to overcome whatever obstacles he still faces and with much gratitude for his commitment to a new inclusive South Africa and the wonderful music he has given us over the years.

Many of us will be be arriving back from what is expected to be one of the biggest cultural festivals of the year, the newly conceived DSTV Trace Roots concert, held in Johannesburg last night but with plans for national expansion over the next few years.

Intended to be an annual festival, it is an all-inclusive celebration of everything Africa has to offer on the pop culture spectrum.

For this, their first year, the organisers gathered a staggering compilation of over 30 performing urban artists, as well as lifestyle outlets like a mini short film festival celebrating African female filmmakers and, to feed the hungry party-goers, a massive outdoorindoor food hall.

Artists set to perform include old-time favourites like Sjava and Kwesta as well as Gemini Major, DJ Sliqe, Sho Madjozi, Frank Casino and the new kid on the block, rap superstar J Molley.

If you didn’t make the trip up-country, you can still get your groove on by buying tickets for the Icc-hosted Legends of R&B that celebrates its final South African tour with a concert on Thursday, December 14, featuring number one crooner and every mother’s ultimate hall pass, Brian Mcknight, supported by the precocious talent known and loved as Brandy.

Tickets are a tad steep but when you’re buying into a quality night of all-time favourite hits like Back at One, Still, Almost or Have You Ever, it’s a worthwhile Christmastime treat for you and those

R&B lovers in your life. Yup, it’s a cheesy sentence for a wonderfully cheesy night out.

And speaking of cheddar, pop music’s must unlikely musical genius, Australian-born Sia has just released a not-so-traditional Christmas song titled Santa’s Coming For Us, the first single off her debut festive album, Everyday is Christmas.

I know, #wtf ?, this is Sia, the girl who gave us Chandelier, but everyone wants to make an extra buck this time of year, so swallow your pride and gag reflux and give it a listen… it’s well worth it.

But isn’t everything these days?