the early years: arriving at Gatwick

It was Owen Ellias and Duncan Veitch who first brought us to the UK. Owen and Duncan had a record label called Disc'Afric, and where selling various music recorded in Africa. Owen had been in Zimbabwe twice before, and he asked our producer, Steve Roskilly of Shed Studios, to look for a band that would tour the UK. At that time, The Bhundu Boys were top of the local charts, and we were also one of Steve Roskilly's favourite bands. So we got the contract.

Steve brought the news from the UK to us. He produced the contract and described Owen Ellias as a professor. We did our last Bhundu Boys tour of Zimbabwe, to raise airfares and money to secure our families. Half of the airfares was paid for by Disc'Afric. In the summer of 1986, we left for the airport. This was our first time to fly. Friends and relatives came to see us off, and we were the talk of the town - the first ever Zimbabwe group to tour overseas since independence. Even the birds sang, and God smiled at us.

On arrival at London Gatwick Airport, we were met by Professor Owen, and his co-partner Duncan, also known as "Doug". Neither of them looked like a professor. They didn't even own a car. Owen had an old, small, brown, leather suitcase, which had vinal albums in it ready to go on sale. Doug was looking quite scruffy with one of his shoes about to lose its heel. We just thought these were the henchmen of the real professor, who must be sitting in his luxurious mansion somewhere.

Both of them were surprised to see us coming out of the arrivals holding only a small satchel each, and no guitars in our hands. Probably they thought guitars were coming through the conveyor belt.

We were all astonished after hearing each other's surprises.