Bhundu Boys founder Kagona dies

BHUNDU Boys founder member, Rise Kagona has died.

He was 62.

Multiple sources said Kagona died in Scotland yesterday after a long illness.

Music fans and showbiz watchers described his death as a loss to the arts fraternity.

Popular social media commentator, Marshal Shonhai, described Kagona’s death as a blow to the music fraternity.

“Sad, sad day for Zimbabwean music, the leader and founder of one of Zimbabwe’s celebrated bands, The Bhundu Boys, Rise Kagona has died. He will be dearly missed,” said Shonhayi on his social media handle.

Fellow musician, researcher and painter, Tafadzwa Gora, who used the social media handles ZiGora Zowa or Gora Zowa Music, was equally shocked by the death.

“It is devastating #THE_BHUNDU_BOYS founder and one of the last surviving members Rise Kagona has died! #MHSRIP. The Bhundu Boys were formerly Wild Dragons and formerly King Crops Hippies! I had so much respect for mukoma Rise Kagona because he is one of the musicians who played a key role when Sir Alick Macheso formed Orchestra Mberikwazvo.”

Music researcher, columnist and academic, Professor Fred Zindi, who once accommodated the group at his London home in the late 80s during their tour of England, expressed his shock.

“I last spoke to Rise Kagona in 2018 when he was unwell. He was a fine gentleman who loved his job. Rise was also down to earth as compared to Biggie Tembo who refused to stay at my house.

“The group held 300 shows within a year when they first arrived in England,” he said.

In his column for a local weekly last month,

Prof Zindi said Kagona was born in Malawi on May 17, 1962.

Drummer Kenny Chitsvatsva, who was among the co-founders of Bhundu Boys, is still alive.

“Rise Kagona is one of the surviving members and leader of the Bhundu Boys, a band that put Zimbabwe on the world map in the 1980s.

“Although there were seven members at first, five of the Bhundu Boys are now dead. These include Biggie Tembo, Washington Kavhayi, Shepherd Munyama, David Mankaba and Shakie Kangwena. The band was responsible for churning out hits such as Simbimbino, Babamunini Francis, Hatisi Tose, Kuroja Chete and Jit Jive,” he said in his column.

He added:

“In 1987, the Bhundu Boys played at Wembley Arena, United Kingdom as a support group for Madonna.

English radio presenter and journalist John Peel famously described the Bhundu Boys as producing “the most naturally flowing music he had ever heard in his life”.

Andy Kershaw was the best man at Biggie Tembo’s wedding in Zimbabwe where Zimbabwean artistes, Oliver Mtukudzi and Newman Chipeni performed.

“Due to some misunderstandings among the band members, Biggie Tembo was eventually dismissed from the band.

“Kagona agrees that Tembo walked out on the band and began to act weirdly. Not long afterwards, Muir adds, Biggie attacked him.”

Kagona’s burial arrangements were still sketchy at the time of going to print.

He is credited for exporting Zimbabwean music abroad and managing one of the most successful bands after independence.