Johnny Clegg’s Music Lives Again as African Stars Reimagine His Greatest Songs

The music of late South African icon Johnny Clegg is receiving a fresh interpretation from a new generation of African musicians.

The tribute project, “Scatterlings: Johnny Clegg Reimagined,” brings together contemporary South African artists to reinterpret some of Clegg’s best-known works.

The 14-track project was released in 2026 and features artists including Msaki, Sun-El Musician, Tresor, Beatenberg, Jesse Clegg and the Zolani Youth Choir.

The album is not simply a collection of covers. It allows younger musicians to revisit Clegg’s music through their own sounds and experiences.

Clegg became internationally recognised for blending African musical traditions with Western pop and rock. His work also carried a strong social message during South Africa’s apartheid era.

His partnership with Black Zulu guitarist Sipho Mchunu in Juluka challenged the racial divisions that shaped South African society at the time.

That history has given the new project added importance.

Rather than simply looking back, the album connects Clegg’s musical legacy with today’s South African music scene.

The project has also been supported by live events celebrating his work, bringing together established and younger performers.

For a new generation that may not have experienced Clegg’s music when he was alive, the project offers an introduction to an artist whose influence stretched far beyond South Africa.