Beginnings The Bhundu Boys recorded their first 7" vinyl single (Une Shuwa Here) at
Shed Studios in Harare in August 1982, as part of the Studio's drive to sponsor more local music. They were one of a number of more adventurous bands that had not been contracted by the two
record labels. Shed Studios was owned by Steve Roskilly and Martin Norris with engineering by Roskilly, Norris and house drummer, Bothwell Nyamhondera. They signed a formal 3 year recording contract with the studio in February 1983. A single was released on Shed Studio's own Rugare Label almost every month, so as to build up a momentum and strong following. Between 1982 and 1986, became their manager. After touring the UK for a year, basing themselves initially in Hawick, Scotland with Muir and travelling relentlessly, the band appeared to be on the brink of a major commercial breakthrough. This was a monumental blow to the Studios and to Roskilly their erstwhile producer, in particular. It was however agreed that the contract would be nullified in return for all rights associated with existing Shed recordings, being assigned to the Studio’s publisher Shed Music, in perpetuity. In practice, Shed Music continued to pay writer's publishing royalties. Controversially, much of their £80,000 advance from WEA was spent buying a house in Kensal Rise, West London that as of 2006 was still a source of dispute. The band continued but without the writing and vocal talents of Tembo, the band never again produced the same reception by the music press or by the public. Three members died of complications from
AIDS: David Mankaba (d. 1991), his replacement Shepherd Munyama (d. 1992) and Shakespear Kangwena (d. 1993). Tembo tried a comeback by collaborating with a Bristol band, Startled Insects, without success. Returning to Zimbabwe in the early 1990s, he tried to self-produce some more music at Shed Studios including two albums (
Baba of Jit and
Out of Africa). Time in the studio for these albums were not paid for and Shed Studios didn’t complete final mixes. As a result neither album was properly released or published. Tembo became ill with depression, became a practising Christian, eventually hanging himself in a psychiatric hospital in 1995, where he had been sectioned for violent outbursts. Meanwhile, the band soldiered on, recording two more albums. Muir left their management in difficult circumstances as the band's income dried up. In 1996 he sold the band's house in Mortimer Road, Kensal Rise, as part of winding up the band's assets, with surviving band members reporting they received almost nothing from the deal; they suspect that Muir had actually used the band's money to buy it in the first place, using their Warner advance without permission.
Current whereabouts Guitarist Rise Kagona was divorced and went to live in Scotland. He wrote a short account of the band's history. He played in Rise Kagona and the Jit Jive Band, who frequently performed in northern England and Scotland. He co-wrote and sang on "She Told You So" on Ben Avison's 2013
Good Day Mr. Magpie album. He also played with Doug Veitch, recording an album,
Tanzwa Nekutambura, in 2007. Rise Kagona died following a long illness in Scotland on September 17, 2024, aged 62. Kuda Matimba lived in London as of 2007, playing with Harare, a group he started in 2005 together with Kenny Chitsvatsva. He had lost contact with Rise Kagona. Moyo Tembo, son of Biggie Tembo, formed a group called The Chinhoyi Superstars, who released their debut single "Woiteyiko".
Biggie Tembo Jr., a second son of Biggie Tembo, has followed in his father's footsteps and released his debut album,
Rwendo, in 2010. He was convicted of assault against a woman in 2015. ==Discography==