By Fanuel Viriri
Job Kadengu, a shrewd businessman and owner of Job’s Nite Spot in Harare, played a key role in bringing Bob Marley to Zimbabwe in 1980.
Kadengu, who also owned the defunct Skyline Hotel, where Thomas Mapfumo and Oliver Mtukudzi often performed, wore many hats, including being the ZIFA and Dynamos chairman at one time.
Marley’s iconic visit was facilitated by Edgar ‘Two-Boy’ Tekere, a senior Zanu PF official, who wanted the reggae legend to perform at Zimbabwe’s Independence celebrations.
Job Kadengu, Bob Marley and Mike Mhundwa
Tekere’s team, including broadcaster and Radio 3 reggae DJ Mike Mhundwa, tracked down Marley in Jamaica, and he agreed to perform.
The story goes that Tekere, who was inspired by Marley’s music during the liberation struggle, tasked Kadengu and Mhundwa with tracking down the reggae star.
Mhundwa, a reggae enthusiast, had played Marley’s music on Radio 3 and was instrumental in getting Island Records to connect them with Marley’s team in Jamaica.
Tekere frequented Kadengu’s other nightclub Playboy where Mhundwa and Gordon Muchanyuka and Kadengu were roped in.
Kadengu and another businessman, Muchanyuka, travelled to Jamaica to meet Marley after he accepted the invitation. Mhundwa didn’t travel as he didn’t have a passport.
According to Tommy Cowan, marketing manager at Marley’s Tuff Records, Kadengu and Muchanyuka persuaded Marley to come to Zimbabwe despite not having the funds to cover his performance.
Marley agreed, driven by his passion for Pan-African liberation, and covered the equipment and travel expenses himself.
He spent £100,000 to hire a plane from London to transport his 21-tonne musical equipment, including a 35,000-watt public address system.
Marley arrived on April 16, 1980, and was welcomed by Tekere at the airport. Kadengu organised a Mercedes Benz to ferry him, but Marley opted for an Alfa Romeo owned by Mhundwa instead. The I-Threes boarded the Merc, while the rest of the team took a coach.
Marley and his crew went straight to Kadengu’s Belvedere home. After failing to secure accommodation at Jameson Hotel, Kadengu arranged for Marley to stay at Skyline Hotel.
Marley performed at the Independence Celebrations at Rufaro Stadium on April 18, followed by visits to Mbare, Highfields, and Blue Bar at Machipisa, Highfield. He also stopped by Job’s Nite Spot, where he saw Lovemore Majaivana performing.
Marley’s visit had a profound impact on Zimbabwe’s music scene, paving the way for reggae music in Africa. His performance at Rufaro Stadium, attended by 100,000 people, including Prince Charles, remains one of the most memorable moments in Zimbabwe’s history.
Marley’s trip also included a visit to Victoria Falls, where he was taken by Kadengu and Thompson Kachingwe.
He was amazed by the falls’ beauty and even sampled some local ganja in Mutoko. The visit cemented Marley’s connection to Zimbabwe and its people, who continue to celebrate his legacy.
Kadengu died in 1990. #fblifestyle #entertainment
About Author
