At the time, the band was playing covers of European hits to entertain the tourists vacationing on the Kenyan coastline. The song was created in 1979 when the band leader, Teddy Harrison, was performing in a hotel in Mombasa. Song covers: The song has been covered by numerous local and international artists, including German pop band Boney-M. Title translation: Jambo Bwana (“Hello, Mister”) Singer: Them Mushrooms, a band from Kenya Year released: 1982 (but it was written two years earlier) If you have traveled to East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar), there’s a good chance you’ve heard the catchy Jambo song, and an even greater possibility that you know the lyrics by heart… But do you know when and where it was created and what inspired the lyrics? Read on for the full story. In France, an even shorter edit 5:15 was released.The challenge: learn the lovely story behind the song you hear everywhere in East Africa – “Jambo Bwana” The full 7:44 version was only released on the Spanish and Portuguese 12" singles - the German 12" single (despite crediting the timing 7:42 on the label) was actually an edit of 5:35. The 4:06 mix (as featured in the accompanying music video) was only released in Spain and Portugal. The single was intended to be included in the group's untitled seventh album, to be released in the fall of 1983, but didn't happen. Liz Mitchell provided the song's lead vocals, backed by Reggie Tsiboe, Frank Farian, Marcia Barrett, Cathy Bartney, Madeleine Davis, and Judy Cheeks. Teddy Kalanda-Harrison, Peter Bischoff-Fallenstein Mambo Jambo (2001), The Best of African Songs, and othersīoney M. Only released as a single, with lyrics in English Released on several albums, including Jambo Bwana and Songs from Kenya (Them Mushrooms) and African Playground (Putumayo compilation) Partial list of "Jambo Bwana" versions Artist In 2016, a cover was made by Kenyan musician Mani Kollengode. The Safari Sound Band version "Jambo Jambo" has the central part of the lyrics changed, with references to reggae and mushrooms being replaced by other tourist-oriented common Swahili phrases such as Kenya ni nchi nzuri ("Kenya is a beautiful country"). version, released in 1983, is entitled "Jambo - Hakuna Matata" and lyrics are in English and almost completely different only the "jambo bwana" and "hakuna matata" lines have been preserved. Some of the covers of "Jambo Bwana" come under different titles and have modified lyrics. The song was featured in the 2019 film Where’d You Go Bernadette, directed by Richard Linklater and starring Cate Blanchett. Them Mushrooms released the song in several of their albums, and both their version and cover version of the songs are found in many compilation of African pop music, including those dedicated to parties and children (such as the African Playground CD published by Putumayo Kids). The use of the Swahili phrase "hakuna matata" in Disney's " The Lion King" might be a reference to the chorus of the song. As a consequence of this popularity, many other bands covered the songs, in some cases with a similar success the version by Safari Sound Band, in particular, is one of the most played songs in tourist venues in East Africa. "Jambo Bwana" by Them Mushrooms was a huge commercial success, selling over 200,000 copies between 19 and getting platinum certification in Kenya. The original version by Them Mushrooms also included lines celebrating Swahili language, reggae music, Africa, and "mushroom soup" (a reference to psilocybin mushrooms). Its lyrics includes several common phrases and greetings in Swahili, such as habari gani? nzuri sana ("how are things going? very well") and hakuna matata ("no problem"). "Jambo Bwana" has been largely adopted as a hotel pop song, targeting a tourist audience. Some versions come under different titles, such as "Jambo Jambo" and "Hakuna Matata". It was first released in 1982 by Kenyan band Them Mushrooms, and later covered by a number of other groups and artists, including Mombasa Roots, Safari Sound Band, Khadja Nin, Adam Solomon, Mani Kollengode, and the German group Boney M. " Jambo Bwana" (in Swahili " Hello Sir") is a Kenyan pop song also popular in Tanzania.
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