Songwriter/Musician
August Musarurwa was born in raised in the Zvimba district of Mashonaland, in what was then, Southern Rhodesia. After school he relocated to the country’s capitol city, Salisbury (Harare) where, after working as a clerk for a tobacco company, he joined the British South Africa Police, as a 22-year-old. The Police employed him as an interpreter, however, he later transferred to the police band.
He later left the Police and joined the Bulawayo Cold Storage Commission where he became leader of the African Dance Band of the Cold Storage Commission. He recorded Skokiaan as an instrumental in 1947. A second version of the tune was released in the United States in 1954 under the name of the Bulawayo Sweet Rhythms Band, as Musarurwa’s band was now called.
“The Bulawayo Sweet Rhythms Band” record was one of four versions to enter the Billboard charts that summer. The U.S. best-seller was by Ralph Marterie (listen here: https://youtu.be/P–uoth_bHQ ) 1954 Billboard Chart Peaks: 17 (sales), 20 (radio play) The original 78rpm single was issued on Gallotone 1152 – Skokiaan (Msarurgwa) by the African Dance Band of the Cold Storage Commission of Southern Rhodesia, recorded April 30, 1950
In 1960 Musarurwa met Louis Armstrong on his tour of Africa. Armstrong invited him to the United States, however, the trip was postponed after the death of Musarurwa’s spouse, Tandiwe, in 1962.
August Musarurwa died in 1968 and his buried in the family cemetery at his Zvimba village. The inscription on his grave reads, “Here lies August Musarurwa, great singer and music composer, renowned the world over”.
(Source: Wikipedia & YouTube)
“The Bulawayo Sweet Rhythms Band” record was one of four versions to enter the Billboard charts that summer. The U.S. best-seller was by Ralph Marterie (listen here: https://youtu.be/P–uoth_bHQ ) 1954 Billboard Chart Peaks: 17 (sales), 20 (radio play) The original 78rpm single was issued on Gallotone 1152 – Skokiaan (Msarurgwa) by the African Dance Band of the Cold Storage Commission of Southern Rhodesia, recorded April 30, 1950