I have always been a diehard fan of Boney M and their infectious charm & craft of memorable 70's disco tunes. For those in the dark - Boney M used to be a 4 member pop & disco band in the 1970's. The group members were from the Caribbean Islands and consisted of Bobby Farrell, Liz Mitchell, Maizie Williams and Marcia Barrett. The group didn't hit the music scene with a bang, in fact initial response was lukewarm if anything - hence performed at various clubs & discos across Americas and parts of Europe. With time, and word of mouth their melodious beats and brilliant vocals, brought fame across the Middle East, parts of Africa, Asia and the former Soviet Union. Along with Swedish pop group ABBA, Boney M is perhaps most widely known '70s Western music acts in these regions, though globally, ABBA and the Bee Gees ruled the 70's and perhaps thru to this day.
Rasputin and Rivers of Babylon are the more successful songs - though the former was banned in ex-Soviet Union, given obvious lyrics. Tracks like - Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday, Brown girl in the Ring, Daddy Cool and Ma Baker are such quintessential 70's disco beats, whilst the lyrics & vocals of Mary’s Boy Child and The Rivers of Babylon get festive when they hit the airwaves every Christmas.
When I was just about 3, dad introduced me to Boney M, via an audio cassette he brought along from his travels. I vaguely remember, the very first time he played the tape at one of our parties at home - few guests and dad, dancing to the beats of Rasputin. Each time I listen, these songs bring tons of memories. In my opinion, 70's disco was indeed a class apart. Thanks to blog friend, BuJ for bringing back memoirs, given his recent post of Rasputin.
These days, on rare occasions, Boney M hold concerts at select cities. Here's an early Christmas wish for a Boney M concert in the UAE :)
