Bhundu Boys

**The Bhundu Boys** were a Zimbabwean band that played a mixture of chimurenga music with American rock and roll, disco, country, and pop influences. Their style became known as jit, and is quite popular across Africa, with some international success, and has influenced later groups like Nehoreka and Mokoomba. The name came from bhundu (meaning "Bush" or "jungle"), in reference to the young boys who used to aid the nationalist guerrilla fighters in the 1970s war against the white minority government of what was then Rhodesia. Lead singer Biggie Tembo (Biggie Rodwell Tembo Marasha) was a Bhundu boy.

## Links to Kershaw

In an 2005 interview with the Independent newspaper, Kershaw revealed how he discovered the Bhundu Boys:

> *"I first heard them when they put out an EP in the autumn of 1985. Peel and I were in the office at Radio 1. We sat staring at each other, thinking this recording was absolutely wonderful. It was the dazzling quality of the music, the harmonies, the sparkling guitar playing. The Bhundu Boys were simply one of the greatest pop groups I have ever heard."* [1]
>
>

The following spring, Kershaw added, he and John Peel went to see the group in Chelsea.

> *"I realised after a few minutes that I had this enormous grin on my face. I was surrounded by kids of college age. They were all grinning too. I turned to look at John, and Peel being Peel - he was weeping. The tears were just running down his face. It really was a revelatory moment. We introduced ourselves to the band. I immediately hit it off with Biggie, who was an ideal frontman; a superb communicator with a wonderful sense of humour and full of enthusiasm for everything. The band played like they were having the time of their lives. They played like that because they were."* [2]
>
>

Kershaw was also close friends with Biggie Tembo, the singer, and was his best man at his wedding. They also made a radio documentary together when they were in Zimbabwe, which was broadcast in 1988 on BBC Radio One. Biggie tragically died in 1995 and Kershaw gave an obituary on the musician in the Independent newspaper. [3]

The band made such an impact on Kershaw, that he nominated their track Hupenyu Hwangu as the last track on his BBC Radio One show in 2000 and included it in his Desert Island Discs programme in 2007.

## Sessions

1. Recorded: 1987-03-03. First Broadcast: 12 March 1987. Repeated: 21 May 1987, 12 April 2002

* Simbimbino / Hpenyu Hwangu / Pedzamuto / Shabini

2. Recorded: unknown. First Broadcast: 13 March 1993

* Pombi / Bitter To The South / 'Catchesi' / 'Cashi Rye'

3. Recorded: unknown. First Broadcast: 26 November 1995

* Pafunge / Mhunza Musha / Satan Ngaaparadzwe / Misodzi Pamatama / Tamba Wega

4. Recorded: unknown. First Broadcast: 10 June 1999

* Nzara / Mumhanzi Wejit / Misodzi Pamatama / Tamba Wega

## Live

Recorded at the Dance Base in Edinburgh on 2001-08-24. First Broadcast: 24 August 2001

1. unknown set

## Other Shows Played

1985
* 03 October 1985: Hatisitose (shared 12" with African Herb - The Bhundu Boys And African Herb) Discafrique
* 24 October 1985: Nhai Mukoma (LP - The Bhundu Boys) Rugare
* 26 December 1985: Hatisitose (shared 12" with African Herb - The Bhundu Boys And African Herb) Discafrique

1986
* 31 July 1986: Nhai Mukoma (LP - The Bhundu Boys) Rugare
* 20 October 1986 (John Peel): The band's first Peel session

1987
* 05 February 1987: Kupedza Muto (LP - Tsvimbodzemoto) Discafrique
* 28 May 1987: Hupenyu Hwangu (LP - Shabini) Discafrique
* 25 June 1987: Chekudya Chose (LP - Tsvimbodzemoto) Discafrique
* 30 July 1987: Tsvimbodzemoto (LP - Tsvimbodzemoto) Discafrique
* 06 August 1987: Tsvimbodzemoto (LP - Tsvimbodzemoto) Discafrique

1991
* 10 February 1991: Chemedzevana (LP - Absolute Jit!) DiscAfrique
* 30 June 1991: Une Shuwa Here (album - Tsvimbodzemoto) Discafrique

1993
* 13 February 1993: Gonzo Nachin'Al (CD - Friends On The Road) Cooking Vinyl
* 25 September 1993: Nhai Mukoma (album - Tsvimbodzemoto) Discafrique AFRI LP 03

1997
* 21 July 1997: Satan Ngaaparadzwe (CD - Muchiyedza (Out Of The Dark)) Cooking Vinyl
* 29 September 1997: Satan Ngaaparadzwe (CD - Muchiyedza) Cooking Vinyl
* 22 December 1997: Satan Ngaaparadzwe (CD - Muchiyedza) Cooking Vinyl

   2000
* 27 April 2000: Chekudya Chose (CD - Tsvimbodzemoto) Disc Afrique
* 25 May 2000: Hupenyu Hwangu (CD - Shabini) Discafrique

2001
* 15 June 2001: Une Shuwa Here - Part 1 (2xCD - The Shed Sessions) Sadza
* 22 June 2001: Chekudya Chose (2xCD - The Shed Sessions) Sadza
* 12 October 2001: Wakasikirei Satani (2xCD - The Shed Sessions) Sadza
* 21 December 2001: Wenhamo Haaneti (2xCD - The Shed Sessions) Sadza

2004
* 31 October 2004: Hupenyu Hwangu (LP – Shabini) Discafrique

2005
* 20 March 2005: Zuichatinetsa (2xCD - The Shed Sessions) Sadza

2007
* 04 February 2007: Kuroja Chete (album - Shabini) Discafrique
* Desert Island Discs: Hupenyu Hwangu (LP – Shabini) Discafrique

## External Links

* Wikipedia
* Discogs