Johannesburg – Johnny Clegg is more than just one of this country’s finest musicians and entertainers. He is a national treasure who has brought together all South Africans and reminded us of what makes us great as a country.
These were the words of Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa on the man who managed to unite South Africans through his musical storytelling.
Now, nearly 40 years after Clegg began his remarkable career, the South African music icon is set to do his final dance on the world stage.
The Final Journey is the name of Clegg’s final world tour that will see him bring his illustrious career to life in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban before heading to London and Dubai for the international leg of the tour.
In 2015 Clegg was diagnosed with cancer. While going through treatment he continued to tour locally and internationally with a nine-week tour in the US and Canada last year.
The Asimbonanga hitmaker is in remission and has decided to perform a final set of concerts to thank his fans for their support over the years.
“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,” he said.
The tour will be built around Clegg’s unparalleled repertoire of songs which began with the release of Juluka’s Universal Men in 1979 and continued through the Savuka years and his more recent solo work, Real Concerts said in the official statement.
The Grammy-nominated artist and honoree of several doctorates and orders including the Order of Ikhamanga will take his fans through a musical journey of dance and song that has impacted, and continues to impact, the country socially, politically and culturally.
Clegg’s hits including Impi, Great Heart and African Sky Blue will be brought to life in the biggest production ever created for a Clegg live show, supported by his live band.
Clegg starts The Final Journey on July 1 with a show at the Grand Arena at the GrandWest Casino in Cape Town followed by two performances in Johannesburg on July 7 and 8 at the Teatro at Montecasino. He will then move on to the Durban ICC Arena on July 29.
The international leg of the tour will start in London on August 19 at the Eventim Apollo and then follow on to the Dubai Opera House on September 20. Guest artists include the Soweto Gospel Choir, and as the tour unfolds there will be special surprises for the audiences.
While this will be his final public performances, his manager and promoter Roddy Quinn said Clegg would continue to work on his autobiography, record music for his new album and take part in some private engagements.
FLASHBACK: Remember this awesome moment:
Booking for the South African dates of Clegg’s Final Journey World Tour open today (April 25). Tickets start from R375.
Additional South African and international dates are set to be added later in the year.
Johnny Clegg: The Final Journey World Tour first phase dates:
July 1 – Grandwest Arena, Cape Town
July 7 and 8 – Montecasino, Johannesburg
July 29 – Durban ICC Arena, Durban
August 19 – Eventim Apollo, London
September 20 – Dubai Opera, Dubai