"Jambo Bwana" is a Kenyan pop song. It was first released in 1982 by Kenyan band Them Mushrooms, and later covered by a number of other groups and artists, including Mombasa Roots, Safari Sound Band, Khadja Nin, Adam Solomon, Mani Kollengode, and the German group Boney M.. Some versions come under different titles, such as "Jambo Jambo" and "Hakuna Matata". "Jambo Bwana" has been largely adopted as a hotel pop song, targeting a tourist audience. Its lyrics includes several common phrases and greetings in Swahili, such as habari gani? nzuri sana and hakuna matata. The original version by Them Mushrooms also included lines celebrating Swahili language, reggae music, Africa, and "mushroom soup".
Popularity
"Jambo Bwana" by Them Mushrooms was a huge commercial success, selling over 200,000 copies between 1982 and 1987 and getting platinum certification in Kenya. As a consequence of this popularity, many other bands covered the songs, in some cases with a similar success; the version by Safari Sound Band, in particular, is one of the most played songs in tourist venues in East Africa. The use of the Swahili phrase "hakuna matata" in Disney's "The Lion King" might be a reference to the chorus of the song. Them Mushrooms released the song in several of their albums, and both their version and cover version of the songs are found in many compilation of African pop music, including those dedicated to parties and children. The song was featured in the 2019 film Where’d You Go Bernadette, directed by Richard Linklater and starring Cate Blanchett.
Covers
Some of the covers of "Jambo Bwana" come under different titles and have modified lyrics. The Boney M. version, released in 1983, is entitled "Jambo - Hakuna Matata" and lyrics are in English and almost completely different; only the "jambo bwana" and "hakuna matata" lines have been preserved. The Safari Sound Band version "Jambo Jambo" has the central part of the lyrics changed, with references to reggae and mushrooms being replaced by other tourist-oriented common Swahili phrases such as Kenya ni nchi nzuri. In 2016, a cover was made by Kenyan musician Mani Kollengode.
In 1983, German group Boney M. released "Jambo - Hakuna Matata". Liz Mitchell provided the song's lead vocals, backed by Reggie Tsiboe, Frank Farian, Cathy Bartney, Madeleine Davis, and Judy Cheeks. The single was intended to be included in the group's untitled seventh album, to be released in the fall of 1983. Due to a poor chart performance, the single ultimately was not included in the album. Several mixes of "Jambo" were made. The 4:06 mix was only released in Spain and Portugal. A 3:39 edit was released elsewhere. The full 7:44 version was only released on the Spanish and Portuguese 12" singles - the German 12" single was actually an edit of 5:35. In France, an even shorter edit 5:15 was released.
