Please welcome the Bhundu Boys

The BBC News online website has a story today about the Bhundu Boys, the Zimbabwean band that played a mixture of chimurenga music with American rock and roll, disco and pop influences. In the 80’s the Bhundu Boys created a style known as “jit“, that brought the band some international success – including performing as an opening act for Madonna‘s 1987 “Who’s That Girl” concert in London.

In May 1986, five young men arrived at London’s Gatwick Airport from Zimbabwe. Within a year, they had conquered British music – but within a decade, three of the five would be dead, along with one of their replacements.

After releasing two albums for Discafrique, the Bhundu Boys signed to Warners and they supported Madonna at Wembley Stadium only a year after landing in the country.

“We did not treat that crowd as Madonna’s,” recalls founder member and lead guitarist Rise Kagona.

“We treated it as ours as well. Because we are there – we are musicians. As good as Madonna is, she is a musician, and so are we.”

From the BBC News.