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The Bhundu Boys


The Bhundu Boys

The Bhundu Boys

I first listened to the Bhundu Boys on BBC radio 1 where John Peel, a veteran DJ used to play them almost every night. This was in the mid-80s, when very few people in Europe had any knowledge of African music. I listened to them more after I bought some of their albums on my first trip to their native Zimbabwe and on my second trip, I was fortunate enough to meet the band face to face. We happened to be on the same Air Zambia (never again!) flight from Rome to Harare via Lusaka/Zambia, which ended up getting us stranded in Lusaka together. They were just heading home after having produced the music video for "True Jit".

Many years later I was sad to hear that one of the members of the band had died from AIDS and another had comitted suicide (which is very rare in African societies). They were nice people but from what I heard their rise to fame drew a lot of jealousy from other bands that were more well known at home but less successful abroad.

  • Shabini (LP) was one of the first albums the group released. The name means an African drinking place. Other early albums were Pamberi (LP) and Tsvimbodzemoto.
  • True Jit True Jit (LP/CD) brought the real break-through for the Bhundu Boys in Europe. It was recorded in a London studio and features a highly polished sound, yet has not lost contact with the roots of the music.
  • Absolute Jit! (recorded live at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow / Scotland) is another great album.
  • Friends on the road is a wonderful live recording and features Foolish Harp, my favourite version of their track Foolish Heart.

See also:
See also: Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited



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