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SPECIAL FEATURE<br />
THEM MUSHROOMS<br />
THE STORY<br />
Every music culture has its story of<br />
success and endurance. In Kenya,<br />
Them Mushrooms has outlived<br />
many groups without losing their<br />
focus as a creative and performing<br />
band. Five brothers Teddy Kalanda<br />
Harrison, Billy Sarro Harrison,<br />
George Zirro Harrison, John<br />
Katana Harrison, and Dennis<br />
Kalume Harrison initially founded<br />
the group in 1972. To date, Them<br />
Mushrooms is one of Kenya’s<br />
most successful bands in a wellrounded<br />
sense. Their thumbprints<br />
are evident in every discipline that<br />
constitutes the music business<br />
in Kenya. They have also helped<br />
launch and re-launch recording<br />
careers for other local artists.<br />
Jambo Bwana (Kenya Hakuna<br />
Matata) – the band’s biggest hit<br />
recorded in 1980, earned the<br />
group silver, gold, and platinum<br />
status (discs) for sales exceeding<br />
200,000. It also entered charts in<br />
seven different versions, the most<br />
notable done by Europe’s famous<br />
1970s disco group Boney M. The<br />
band’s slogan Hakuna Matata<br />
was adopted in a recording by<br />
Jimmy Cliff, which was also<br />
used as a theme song on the<br />
box-office hit movie Lion King.<br />
Them Mushrooms has recorded<br />
signature tunes for the BBC radio<br />
(UK), and KBC radio (Kenya) and<br />
has produced jingles for many<br />
Kenyan corporates. A British film<br />
producer of a documentary on<br />
Kenyanathletes’ likewise featured<br />
the band’s composition Pongezi<br />
Wanariadha.<br />
Ndogo Ndogo - the strongest<br />
track on the 1985 album New<br />
Horizons, was adapted as the<br />
soundtrack of a Kiswahili language<br />
film titled Mahari – produced by<br />
Paul Singh, a Kenyan filmmaker.<br />
In 1988 Them Mushrooms released<br />
Ukimwi Ni Hatari and Beware<br />
Of Aids, making the band the<br />
first to have recorded and released<br />
songs on HIV/AIDS awareness in<br />
Africa.<br />
The death in 1992 of youngest<br />
brother Dennis Kalume Harrison,<br />
then band drummer, was<br />
devastating. The band temporarily<br />
broke up, but pressure from their<br />
late (mother) Mrs Mandi Harrison<br />
and fans brought the band together<br />
again. The remaining brothers<br />
have recruited other musicians to<br />
complete the band’s lineup. Toys<br />
Of Death a single released in 1998,<br />
earned the group commendation<br />
from the International Coalition<br />
against Landmines.<br />
Spotlight On Kenyan Music<br />
Through 2005 and 2006, Them<br />
Mushrooms was involved in the<br />
12<br />
5TH EDITION | JULY <strong>2022</strong>
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