August Msarurgwa
Encyclopedia
August Musarurwa was the Zimbabwean composer of the 1950s hit tune Skokiaan
(also known as Skokiyana, Skokian).
http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=12250&cat=3&livedate=12/6/2006.
According to The Herald, Musarurwa was born and raised in the Zvimba (map) district of Mashonaland
, a region in the north of what was then Southern Rhodesia
. He attended Marshall Hartley School before moving to what was then Salisbury (Harare
) to find work. After working as a clerk for a tobacco company, he joined the British South African Police as a 22-year old. The BSAP employed Musarurwa as an interpreter, but later he transferred to the police band.
He left the BSAP to work for the Bulawayo
Cold Storage Commission, living in the company's compound. As leader of the African Dance Band of the Cold Storage Commission of Southern Rhodesia, Musarurwa recorded Skokiaan as an instrumental in 1947. A second version of the tune was released in the United States by London Records
in 1954 under the name of the Bulawayo Sweet Rhythms Band, as Musarurwa's band was now called.
Louis Armstrong
met Musarurwa in November 1960 during his African tour. According to The Herald, Armstrong gave Musarurwa a jacket and invited him to visit the United States. The visit was cancelled due to the death in 1962 of Tandiwe, Musarurwa's spouse.
August Musarurwa died in 1968.
Skokiaan
"Skokiaan" is a popular tune originally written by Rhodesian musician August Musarurwa in the tsaba-tsaba big band style that succeeded marabi...
(also known as Skokiyana, Skokian).
History
The most extensive description of Musarurwa is found in the Zimbabwean newspaper, The HeraldThe Herald (Zimbabwe)
The Herald is a government owned daily newspaper published in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe.-Origins:The newspaper's origins date back to the 19th century. Its forerunner was launched on June 27 1891 by W E Fairbridge for the Argus group of South Africa...
http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=12250&cat=3&livedate=12/6/2006.
According to The Herald, Musarurwa was born and raised in the Zvimba (map) district of Mashonaland
Mashonaland
Mashonaland is a region in northern Zimbabwe. It is the home of the Shona people.Currently, Mashonaland is divided into three provinces, with a total population of about 3 million:* Mashonaland West* Mashonaland Central* Mashonaland East...
, a region in the north of what was then Southern Rhodesia
Southern Rhodesia
Southern Rhodesia was the name of the British colony situated north of the Limpopo River and the Union of South Africa. From its independence in 1965 until its extinction in 1980, it was known as Rhodesia...
. He attended Marshall Hartley School before moving to what was then Salisbury (Harare
Harare
Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...
) to find work. After working as a clerk for a tobacco company, he joined the British South African Police as a 22-year old. The BSAP employed Musarurwa as an interpreter, but later he transferred to the police band.
He left the BSAP to work for the Bulawayo
Bulawayo
Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland...
Cold Storage Commission, living in the company's compound. As leader of the African Dance Band of the Cold Storage Commission of Southern Rhodesia, Musarurwa recorded Skokiaan as an instrumental in 1947. A second version of the tune was released in the United States by London Records
London Records
London Records, referred to as London Recordings in logo, is a record label headquartered in the United Kingdom, originally marketing records in the United States, Canada and Latin America from 1947 to 1979, then becoming a semi-independent label....
in 1954 under the name of the Bulawayo Sweet Rhythms Band, as Musarurwa's band was now called.
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
met Musarurwa in November 1960 during his African tour. According to The Herald, Armstrong gave Musarurwa a jacket and invited him to visit the United States. The visit was cancelled due to the death in 1962 of Tandiwe, Musarurwa's spouse.
August Musarurwa died in 1968.