South African musician Johnny Clegg will perform at Dubai Opera on September 20.
Dubai will be one of five stops on Clegg’s last world tour, The Final Journey, which will also include Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and London. Tickets will go on sale on April 27 at 9am, starting at Dh250.
“This will be my final set of public performances for my fans in [South Africa] and around the world. I am immensely excited to be able to bring to them an autobiographical, audiovisual and intimate account of my life through my music and The Dance,” said Clegg in a press release.
Alongside Clegg’s signature South African-meets-Western beats, the show will include various styles of dance that have been a part of Clegg’s four decade career. As a teenager, he learnt the basics of Zulu music and traditional Zulu Inhlangwinini dancing from street musician Charlie Mzila.
Clegg will perform his solo work, as well as songs from his time in interracial bands Juluka and Savuka.
Also an anthropologist, he has been recognised over the years for his social, cultural and political impact, and his work has promoted a deeper understanding of the anti-apartheid movement in his home country. He has been honoured with several doctorates and orders, including an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) and a South African Order of Ikhamanga.
Deputy President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa described Clegg as “a national treasure who has brought together all South Africans and reminded us of what makes us great as a country.”
