In the groove: John Chibadura: Face to face with Tina Turner

By Fred Zindi | Jul. 30, 2023

John ‘Mr Chitungwiza’ Chibadura

I have interacted with both of them, Tina Turner and John Chibadura. They are both dead now, but their legacies remain etched in our memories.

I will start off with John ‘Mr Chitungwiza’ Chibadura (born February 17, 1957 and died August 4, 1999 aged 42):

Following the success of the Bhundu Boys in Europe during the late 1980s, Jeffery John Chavunduka aka J.J. — a Bulawayo-based music promoter who had been instrumental in promoting South African acts such as Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Brenda Fassie, Chicco and Chimora and The Soul Brothers in Zimbabwe — suddenly developed the idea of promoting John Chibadura overseas but was not sure how to execute it.

“Fred, I believe John is bigger than the Bhundu Boys. Let’s take him to Europe and we will show them that there are bigger things in Zimbabwe. I want you to assist me in arranging shows in Europe”, he said. I agreed.

The next day, we went to 29 Chisvo Road in Chitungwiza where we found John with some builders in the middle of extending his house. We pulled him aside and discussed our plan. He agreed on condition we gave him an advance of Z$3, 000 so that the building continued in his absence and his family was also looked after.

I did the donkey work of organising the visas and work permits for the United Kingdom and the late Walla, aka Walton Dangarembizi, a friend in London also thought that Chibadura aka Mr Chitungwiza, would kill it and he assisted in organising shows. That was the beginning of a six-week European tour.

On April 4, 1989, The Tembo Brothers with Charles on bass, Bata Sintirawo on rhythm guitar, Ronnie on drums, Douglas and Innocent Makoni on backing vocals plus Chibadura on the lead guitar and vocals, held their first concert at the Africa Centre in London’s Covent Gardens . It was a full house.

Andy Kershaw of BBC Radio 1 who had recently come from Zimbabwe where he attended the late Biggie Tembo’s wedding was among the audience. He was impressed with Chibadura. He asked if we would be willing to appear on his show the following Monday.

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Jazzie B of Soul to Soul who was also a television presenter on Channel 4’s music programme, Big World Café, was also present. He also asked us to appear on his television show where Tina Turner was also being featured. We agreed. We went to Channel 4 Studios the next Monday and met Tina Turner as she was in the dressing room next to ours. There were eight of us crowded in the artistes’ dressing room with just tea, coffee and biscuits. Through the glass window that divided us from a more spacious dressing room, we could see where Tina Turner was hosted. She had flowers, a host of attendees, drinks, cakes, fruit and plenty of other eats.

Chibadura, who had never heard of Tina Turner before asked me who she was. I tried to sing to him two of her hit songs, Proud Mary and Private Dancer but he was completely lost. “Does she have a lot of money?” he asked me. I said, “Yes”.

“Aaaah! She can’t have more money than Mulauzi”, he said (Apparently Mulauzi was a car dealer in Zimbabwe and he used to repair Chibadura’s fleet of cars) “Why is her dressing room bigger and filled with lots of fruit and drinks yet we have more people in my band?” I told him that this is how international superstars are treated. “I am also a superstar”, said Chibadura. “Yes but here, we are only a supporting act. This is why Tina Turner is being paid 100,000 pounds and we are only getting 900,” I explained. “Aaaah, That’s not fair! Does she even know I am Mr. Chitungwiza?”

We were then asked to play three songs $5000 Kuroora, Sara Ugarike and Chisingaperi.

In the same week, we went to BBC studios where Andy Kershaw requested the band to do four songs. The late John Peel, who had received a copy of The Essential, Chibadura’s album from CSA Records was also anxious to book Chibadura on his BBC Radio 1 show. He asked me, “Why is it that many of John Chibadura’s song titles end with ‘angu’? For instance, Dhiya Wangu, Mukadzi Wangu, Mudzimu Wangu, Hupenyu Hwangu and Zuva Rekufa Kwangu? “ That was the first time I had noticed this coincidence. I quickly rustled up an answer. I was not sure but I explained to him that most of his compositions were centred around John’s personal life experiences (hence wangu or kwangu which means ‘mine’) and that they came with achingly poignant lyrics.

On the Friday, we were at a night club called Band On The Wall in Manchester, a show which Walla had arranged. /

Chibadura received an overwhelming response from the 500 plus people who were at the venue. This show generated more gigs as there was a promoter called Hans from the Netherlands in the audience.

He asked us if the band was free to go to Holland to perform during their Liberation Day Festival on May 5, 1989. We agreed. We arrived in Holland on May 2 and the promoter also arranged two more gigs before the big event. The first one was in Utrecht and the second one in Rotterdam where Chibadura was well-received. Then came the big one. May 5 was Liberation Day, the equivalent of Independence Day in Zimbabwe.

The stadium in Amsterdam was thronged by approximately 20, 000 revellers. The emotionally charged Tembo Brothers gave an exhilarating, explosive and visually stimulating two live-concert hours on stage after which the people were calling out for more.

CSA had given us 100 albums to sell at the festival. Big mistake! They were all sold out within 10 minutes at the festival.

Hundreds of people had queued up to buy the LP, but we ran out of the product. Another gig was hurriedly arranged on the outskirts of Amsterdam at a club known as the Melkweg (Dutch name for Milky Way) It was explosive. That is the reputation Chibadura left overseas.

Now let’s turn to Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock on November 26, 1939 and died on May 24, 2023 aged 81:83):

Outspoken, controversial, polarising, and still sexy, Tina Turner was the undisputed Queen of Rock’ and Roll .

At the Channel 4’s Big World Café Show I made a request to let the Tembo Brothers meet her in person. She was quite free to welcome us in her dressing room on condition we went in two at a time. Those were the instructions she gave to her body-guards.

I was the first to go in with John. I asked her about how she had become so successful after her trials and tribulations with Ike Turner. She said to me: “That would be a story for another day, but how do you get stories with such intimate details in Africa? The average American does not know such stories.” My response was: “I am a great fan of yours”. She was impressed. I even invited her to come and perform in Zimbabwe, but she referred me to her manager who spoke about millions of dollars for the tour. It didn’t happen.

She rose to fame alongside husband Ike in the 1960s with songs which included Proud Mary and River Deep, Mountain High.

She divorced the abusive Ike in 1978 and went on to find even greater success as a solo artist in the 1980s.

Dubbed the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll, Tina Turner was famed for her raunchy and energetic stage performances and husky, powerful vocals.

Tina Turner, the iconic American-born singer, passed away at 83 on May 24, 2023. Rising from a difficult childhood in a farming community and overcoming an abusive relationship, Turner's journey to stardom is a testament to her resilience. Her representative confirmed that she died peacefully in her home in Küsnacht, Switzerland, after a long illness. Turner's career began in the 1950s and spanned several decades and musical eras.

From the early days of rock and roll to becoming a global sensation during the MTV era, Turner's influence on the music industry is immeasurable. Her powerful voice, electrifying performances, and enduring hits have left an indelible mark on music history. Her life and legacy will continue to inspire countless artists and music lovers around the world.

She was one of the most powerful and respected female singers coming from America. American female superstars such as Aretha Franklyn and Beyonce Knowles claim that they got their inspiration from Tina Turner.

Turner and Beyoncé previously performed together at the 2008 Grammy Awards where they sang Proud Mary, a Credence Clearwater Revival song that Turner had become known for. Three years prior, Beyoncé sang the same song at a Kennedy Centre ceremony where Turner was being honoured.

She will forever be remembered for her energetic stage performances and the beautiful songs she gave to the world. Turner died two months ago but will forever be remembered all around the t.