Beautiful World - The EMI Years 1987-1993

• 5CD collection of the studio works by Johnny Clegg & Savuka, the Johannesburg-formed, multi-racial World Music pioneers that created music in opposition to Apartheid in South Africa.

• Includes their four albums recorded for EMI: 'Third World Child' (1987), 'Shadow Man' (1988), 'Cruel, Crazy Beautiful World' (1989) and the Grammy Award nominated 'Heat, Dust And Dreams' (1993).

• Also features non album B sides such as ‘Gumba Gumba Jive’ and ‘Sengikhumbula Ubuso Bakho’ and remixes including the Rain Man mix of ‘Scatterlings Of Africa’ from the Oscar-winning 1988 film soundtrack and the 10-minute-plus ‘Siyayalanda (The Love House Dub)’.

Savuka (based on the Zulu word for ‘we have arisen’) was formed by English-born South African songwriter Johnny Clegg after the break-up of Juluka, a band based around his musical partnership with Sipho Mchunu.

Clegg and Savuka performed to both black and white audiences, and mixed Zulu influences into songs that brought international success. Clegg, who spoke fluent Zulu and was adept at Zulu dancing; was known as the “white Zulu”. With Savuka he combined influences from Western rock and pop with Zulu guitar, music from Zimbabwe and Zaire and Latin American rhythms to create a powerful international political sound.

Their most celebrated songs include Clegg’s moving tribute to Nelson Mandela (who was still in jail at the time), ‘Asimbonanga (Mandela)’, which was covered in 1987 by Joan Baez, Clegg’s anthem ‘Scatterlings Of Africa’, also recorded earlier with Juluka, ‘Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World’ written for Clegg’s newborn son Jesse, and ‘One (Hu)man One Vote’, written in honour of Clegg’s friend David Webster, an anti-Apartheid activist who’d been assassinated.

Savuka split after their fourth album 'Heat, Dust and Dreams' when backing vocalist, dancer and percussionist Dudu "Zulu" Ndlovu was murdered. The song ‘The Crossing (Osiyeza)’ is dedicated to him.