By Fidelis Manyange

BAND and dance group names play a pivotal role not only in marketing the performing artistes, but also their songs and live shows. 

While some names portray reality, others tend to mislead the fans. 

Over the years, thousands of male patrons have been thronging entertainment joints to drool at the sight of female dancers specialising in lewd dancing going by such names as the  ‘Blue Virgins’ or ‘Girls La Musica’. However, in most cases, the so-called ‘virgins’ and ‘girls’  turn out to be women in their thirties, if not older. 

At her peak, Beverley ‘Bev’ Sibanda and her Sexy Angels was a veritable magnet with fans trooping to her shows to catch a glimpse of her raunchy dances. 

On the other hand, dance groups with sedentary names names like ‘Girls of Peace’, where meant to appeal to those patrons who preferred ‘mature’ dances. 

IYASA (Inkululeko Yabatsha School of Arts) dance group from Bulawayo, which was featured on the hit song, ‘Banolila’, is easily one of the most creative dance groups Zimbabwe has ever produced. Another youthful dance group also hailing from the City of Kings and Queens was Banyana Bafana, who performed with popular musicians like the late Tongai Moyo. A number of female dancing groups have featured on videos by top musicians such as Joseph Garakara, Gift Amuli, Dino Mudondo, Paradzai Mesi and Peter Tangwena, among others. 

It is quite common practice for band leaders to name their outfits after their home areas. Thus we have been treated to such names as Mark Ngwazi’s Njanja Express, Mbuya Madhuve’s Guruve Stars, Guruve Marimba Arts Ensemble, Obert Chari’s Hakireni (Chegutu), Knowledge Kunenyati’s Muzokomba Movers, Gakamoto Jumbo Stars, Friday Mbirimi and Mbare Trio, Mupandawana Night Riders, Masvingo A1 Stars, Mufakose Express and Green Jangano’s Harare Mambos.  

Of course, it is also common for band leaders to name their bands after themselves. King Pharaoh of Marumbe Express is a case in point. Marumbe is his family name.

Mbira groups are at the forefront of preserving their families’ names, totems or other symbols of their cultural heritage. Names that come to mind include Zata Zemba Mbira Group (Fungai Zata and Zemba), Mhuri yekwaMakonese, Nyamuzihwa Mbira Group, Dumisani Maraire and Mhuri yekwaMaraire.  

Mbira DzeNharira was founded by the late Sekuru Mushore who was based at Nharira Hills near Norton.

 Animals also feature prominently is some bands’ names, notable examples being Shumba Stars and Hyena Stars.      

Lovemore Majaivana fronted the Job’s Combination, a named derived from Job’s Night Spot along Harare’s Julius Nyerere Way, owned by the late Job Kadengu. The ‘Ngivulele’ hitmaker was for years the resident musician at the night spot, which has since closed. 

Soon after independence, several bands assumed names synonymous with the liberation struggle and blackness. Oliver Mtukudzi’s Black Spirits and Thomas Mapfumo’s Blacks Unlimited fall into that category. 

So, too, do the Chegutu-based New Black Eagles fronted by Robson Banda while Cosmas Mashoko was at the helm of the New Black Montana. 

The late Cde Chinx (Dick Chingaira), a former freedom fighter who wielded an AK-47 rifle during his liberation war days, founded the Barrel of Peace after the 1979 ceasefire. 

He was not alone in commemorating memories of the war. The late Givie Nare, a former ZIPRA cadre, named his acapella group the Light Machine Gun Choir. 

Mostly used by ZIPRA cadres, the light machine gun was designed to be operated by a single fighter with an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. 

Brothers Simon and Naison Chimbetu fronted the Marxist Brothers, a name inspired by Karl Marx’s teachings which were at the heart of the liberation struggle. 

Marxism is a social, political and economic philosophy which examines the effect of capitalism on labour, productivity and economic development and argues for a worker revolution to overturn capitalism in favour of communism. 

The local music scene has also had its fair share of ‘brothers’, but not always with the same blood flowing in their veins. Marshall Munhumumwe, famed for his classic, ‘Rudo Imoto’, led a four-member band, which he called The Four Brothers. 

However, some bands do not always live up to their names. For example, the inimitable Nicholas ‘Madzibaba’ Zakaria’s has led the Khiama Boys since its inception. The ‘boys’ are, in fact, family men!  Nicholas Zakaria himself is now a grandfather.

In the gospel genre, biblical names such Fishers of Men, The Puritans, House of David and Vabati VaJehovah or Vachemeri vaJehovah speak for themselves.

Ironically, hit songs have inspired band names such as Staben Mawire’s Chimbekeya Hotline and Cephas Karushanga’s Mabhauwa Express named respectively after the chartbusters ‘Chimbekeya’ and ‘Mabhauwa’.

Some band leaders have taken the easy route out by simply naming their bands from the type of music they play. Examples include Sungura Boys, Jazz Invitation and Jazz Sensation, among others. 

But when all is said and one, some names can be outright misleading. 

For example, Zimbabwe has its fair share of orchestras, none of which play classical music.

According to musicgateway.com, an orchestra is a large ensemble of instrumentalists playing together in one of four ‘families’. 

Orchestral families are groups of instruments that comprise strings, woodwind, brass and percussion. 

But this has not deterred local bands from incorporating the word ‘orchestra’ into their names. 

For example, we have Alick Macheso’s Orchestra Mberikwazvo, Sulumani Chimbetu’s Orchestra Dendera Kings, Kapfupi’s Orchestra Ndoozvo, Romeo Gasa’s Orchestra Valembe, Rony Mudhindo’s Orchestra Vazvamburi, Orchestra Ruomba and Orchestra Kokorigo, among many others. 

This trend was most likely borrowed from East Africa’s kanindo groups such as Orchestra Sega Sega, Orchestra Mangelepa and Orchestra Jemba Jemba, among others. 

One of the writer’s favourite sungura bands, which was popular in the 1980s, fell victim to its name when they decided to relocate to South Africa. 

The words ‘jazz band’ form part of its name, although the type of music they play is nowhere near jazz. 

South African jazz lovers, accustomed to the likes of Hugh Masekela, were clearly disappointed when they found out that the group played only sungura music. 

Ironically, Zimbabwe also has had its fair share of ‘jazz’ bands since time immemorial, notably Devera Ngwena Jazz Band, Shirinhema Jazz Band, Shirichena Jazz Band and Mbada Jazz Band.

Jazz music is a broad style of music characterised by complex harmony, syncopated rhythms and heavy emphasis on improvisation.

Yet, none of above groups play jazz, but sungura. Again this practice can be traced back to kanindo and rhumba bands domiciled in East Africa.

Local sungura bands seem to have also fallen in love with the word ‘express’. Thus, we have Barura Express, Utakataka Express, Samaita Express, Marumbe Express, Mbama Express and Mhondoro Express, among others.

One of the various definitions of the word ‘express’ is “. . . to give expression to the artistic or creative impulses or abilities of (oneself). So the bands that have adopted this name may not be far off the mark, after all.

Although Zimbabwe has its fair share  of awkward band names, they are fairly tame compared to some European ones, some of which are downright weirdm if not  blasphemous or evil. 

Ever heard of Goatwhore, Eyehategod, Christ Inversion, Burn the Priest, Nunslaughter, Rotting Christ and Dark Funeral, among others? 

A common denominator among the band members is that they all wear tattoos and are heavily into drugs.

Fortunately, Zimbabwe has so far been spared from such infamy.