Clegg and Savuka Cover South African Spectrum

It’s amazing what the right tour can do for a band’s fortunes. Johnny Clegg & Savuka rolled off the Steve Winwood tour to headline the Wiltern Theatre on Friday and found a near-capacity audience that gave the multiracial South African septet a standing ovation after the fourth song of its generous two-hour set.

Savuka’s songs encompassed several South African styles: accordion/sax jive, the massed choral singing in which Ladysmith Black Mambazo specializes and substantial doses of insidiously catchy mbqanga rhythms. Savuka overlaid that irresistible foundation with assorted Western pop elements, among them techno-pop keyboard melodies, occasional funk bass lines and English lyrics.

Clegg--who has received attention as a white South African who has assimilated into his country’s black culture--needs to develop greater consistency and toughness in his songwriting. The material was significantly weaker when Savuka aimed for a more generic, international dance-pop sound. And the fact that the most rousing audience response was reserved for Clegg and percussionist Dudu Zulu’s exuberant Indlamu dance routines left the nagging question of whether it’s musical or visual dynamism that stands behind Clegg’s rising popularity.