Grammy Award-winning South African artist Zakes Bantwini brings his distinctive creative vision to a powerful new interpretation of Johnny Clegg’s iconic The Crossing (Osiyeza), alongside Jesse Clegg, Msaki and Skye Wanda.
One of the defining figures in contemporary South African music, Bantwini has spent more than two decades building a sound that bridges cultures, generations and musical forms. His global breakthrough Osama became an international anthem, while his collaboration Bayethe, with Wouter Kellerman and Nomcebo Zikode, earned him a Grammy Award in 2023.
His involvement in The Crossing (Osiyeza) from the new Scatterlings album brings another layer of significance to a song deeply connected to South African identity and Zulu culture.
Originally released by Johnny Clegg and Savuka, The Crossing (Osiyeza) was written following the death of Clegg’s close friend, dancer and musical collaborator Dudu Zulu.
For Jesse Clegg, hearing Bantwini take a song carrying so much personal and cultural history and bring it into his own artistic world became one of the most inspiring parts of the Scatterlings project.
“The Crossing is a song that has carried so much meaning for me throughout my life and, of course, for my father. It is deeply connected to his story and to Zulu culture, so working with Zakes on this reimagining was incredibly special. Seeing his process, his instincts and the way he approached a song with so much history was inspiring. He has managed to honour what is at the heart of The Crossing while invigorating it with a completely new life and bringing it into his own artistic world. That, for me, is exactly what Scatterlings is about.” says Jesse Clegg.
Msaki says the project has never been about reproducing Johnny Clegg’s original recordings, but about allowing the songs to continue evolving through the artists interpreting them today.
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“The Crossing (Osiyeza) already carries so much. There is movement, memory and hope in it. We never wanted to reproduce what Johnny had already created. Scatterlings is about allowing these incredible songs to meet a new generation of artists and listeners, and for each of us to bring something of ourselves to them. That is how music stays alive.”
That philosophy sits at the heart of Scatterlings. Johnny Clegg’s songs are not being preserved behind glass. Instead, they are being rediscovered, reinterpreted and passed forward, connecting audiences who grew up with his music with a new generation of South African artists and listeners.
Scatterlings was conceptualised and curated by Jesse Clegg and Msaki, bringing together some of South Africa’s leading artists to reinterpret Johnny Clegg’s extraordinary catalogue through a distinctly contemporary lens.
Listen to The Crossing (Osiyeza) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-SGAP2CMeQ
Follow the Scatterlings project: @scatterlings_za
