Savuka was a multi-racial South African band formed in 1986 by Johnny Clegg after the disbanding of Juluka. Its music blended traditional Zulu musical influences with Celtic music and rock music, which featured bilingual lyrics in English and Zulu. The band's breakthrough came with the album Third World Child (1987), which sold more than one million copies and featured the singles “Asimbonanga” and “Third World Child”. The group toured internationally but faced political challenges due to its anti-apartheid stance. The song “Asimbonanga”, which was explicitly dedicated to Nelson Mandela, Steve Biko, and other activists, led to concert raids and arrests. Subsequent albums include Shadow Man (1988), Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World (1989), and Heat, Dust and Dreams (1993). The band disbanded after the death of its percussionist Dudu Zulu in 1992, with the song “The Crossing” written as a tribute to him.
