22 Fairlady/September 2019
T
hebarrelroofof theGoodHope
Centreis justaheadof us.Michael
is doinga superjobnavigatingthe
CapeTowntrafficinhisfolks’spale
blueVWcombi.Michaelwasheld
backafterStandard9 sohe’shadhis
driver’slicencefora yearalready.
Thecombiis packedwithourgroupof friendsfrom
Hermanus.Michaelisn’treallya friend,buthewants
tobeonedesperately,whichis whyheborrowedthe
combiforusto goto theJohnnyCleggconcert.Michael
permshishairandwearseyeliner,whichwefinda bit
disconcerting.It is 1989soI suspecthe’stryingto
lookliketheleadsingerfromDepecheMode.I, on
theotherhand,amdressedlikeMadonna.I aminski
pantsanda royalblueberetI’dboughtat Pepstores
withmypocketmoney.I amsurprisedthatMom
letmecomewiththegroupoverSirLowry’sPassto
theconcertbutI havepromisedtophoneherfrom
a tickeyboxtosaywegottheresafely.
Michaelparksthecombiandweallgointothe
arena.I haveneverbeeninsucha hugespace.Johnny
comesontothestageandstartstoplay.I recognisemostof thesongsfromGoodHoperadio– we
don’thaveRadio5 inHermanusyet.I clapanddance
andsingalong.I’mlovingit andfeelsogrownup.
A songcomesonthatI haven’theardbefore:‘One
Man,OneVote’.Thissongmakesmefeelnervous.
I feltthesamewhenwewenttoseeDadlastyearin
England.Someuniversitystudentsweregivingout
pamphletswithphotosof NelsonMandelaonthem.
I recognisedthebeardedimageandknewthatwe
shouldn’ttaketheflyer.I toldbothmysistersnotto,
fearfulof whatwouldhappenif wedid.Oneman,one
vote.I amgettingthehangof thechorusbutI don’t
wanttosingit.I don’twantanybodytoseemesay
thosewords.’vedrivenmyredCitiGolftoEllisPark
stadiumfromRandburg.Severalof usare
goingtotheJohnnyCleggconcert.We
meetintheparkinglotandheadin.We
buybeerandcider,anddrinkfromplastic
cups.We’reonthefloorinthearenaandit
is startingtofillupwithfans.I’minmy
KelsojeansfromEdgars,theoneswiththebuttonsWhen Johnny Clegg passed away on 16 July 2019, I couldn’t let the
moment pass unacknowledged. We will never forget you, Johnny.Pioneer. Collaborator. Warrior. Sage. Entertainer.
I
BY VICKI ERSKINE