TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON
THE STORY
THEM MUSHROOMS KENYA HAKUNA MATATA line up.
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TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON at the TRADEWINDS HOTEL in Diani.
Born, SHADRACK JOEL MWARINGA HARRISON, on 25th July 1951 on the Island of Mombasa in Kenya, TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON started making music at the tender age of ten years playing cymbals in the school percussion band managed by MISS MONEY, their piano teacher at Saint Augustine’s Preparatory School. He took an interest in the guitar in 1965 during the last year of his primary education at Saint Michael’s Primary School. In 1966, his first year at Saint George’s High School, he and some school mates formed their first music group, ’AIR BONANZA’, entertaining fellow students during special occasions.
3 From 1970 through 1971 while doing his A-level at Allidina Visram High School in Mombasa, he formed a family band, ‘AVENIDA SUCCESS’, which did guest performances at wedding parties and other social functions. In 1972 he played briefly with the college band at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda where he was studying Political Science, Philosophy and German. In October that same year he dropped out of college after the death of his father. He was offered a job as a store’s clerk at the Bamburi Cement Factory in Mombasa, where his late father worked. On 12th December 1972 he together with his younger brothers John Katana Harrison, George Zirro Harrison [deceased], Billy Sarro Harrison and friends Pritt Nyale and Arthur Okoth started the group, THEM MUSHROOMS, playing on weekends at weddings and clubs, doing cover versions of Congolese music which was the in-thing at that time. From 1974 they started doing the hotel circuit along the North and South Coast of Mombasa playing cover versions of European and American chart music. They realized they could make more money while working for less hours playing for tourists in the beach hotels. They did the hotel circuit for over eleven years, playing cover versions of other people’s music, but what they really wanted by then, was to play their own music. On 21st February 1980 THEM MUSHROOMS were at the Polygram Studio in Nairobi where they recorded two singles, MOMBASA/KENYA HAKUNA MATATA and MATESO/BONDE KWA BONDE. KENYA HAKUNA MATATA, written and composed by TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON is the group’s most successful recording to date, having won a Silver Disc Award in 1982 for sales of over 30,000 copies, Gold in 1984 for sales exceeding 60,000 copies and Platinum in 1987 for sales of over 100,000 copies. This same song has been redone by international artistes such as BARBARA FROGER of France, BO KATZMAN of Switzerland, The Belgian Airforce Band, SAMBA SALAD of Holland, FAUSTO PRED of Italy, SUKBIR SINGH of Dubai, ADAM SOLOMON of Canada, SHIMELIS ARARSO of Ethiopia, LISA SHAKIR of Sudan, FRANK ZANDER and BONEY M both of Germany, two Children’s Choirs in the US and one in CANADA, just to mention a few.
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THEM MUSHROOMS at MAMA NGINA DRIVE Mombasa.
5 In 1987 THEM MUSHROOMS moved base from Mombasa to Nairobi upon signing a contract to be the resident band at the CARNIVORE RESTAURANT. For the two years they played there, the Carnivore was the top entertainment spot in Nairobi. It was also in this very same year THEM MUSHROOMS were crowned the BEST BAND in Kenya on winning the BATTLE OF THE BANDS competition staged at the Bomas of Kenya. By the time TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON retired from the band in July 2001 on his 50th birthday, the band had recorded over 10 albums and 10 singles most of which were done in their own 16 track studio in Nairobi. Apart from their own recordings, Them Mushrooms also helped other budding musicians by producing them and bringing them to the lime light. Princess FARIDA, now a Gospel singer and Lioness AFREEKA, now based in Lecce, Italy, are just two of the many new talents discovered by THEM MUSHROOMS. They also brought back to the scene some old talent that had almost been forgotten. These include the Queen of TAARAB music, MAMA MALIKA who now lives in the US and the Master crooner MZEE FUNDI KONDE who passed away some years back. THEM MUSHROOMS travelled extensively making guest appearances in Dubai, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates; Manama in Bahrain; Mount Abu in India; The Africa Centre in London, England; Zurich in Switzerland; Copenhagen in Denmark; Hanover in Germany; Ariccia in Rome, Italy. In Africa they have played in Kampala, Uganda; Moshi, Arusha and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania; Victoria in the Seychelles; Gaborone in Botswana; Bujumbura in Burundi; Casablanca in Morocco and Djibouti. In Ethiopia they played in Addis Ababa, Jimma, Woliso, Sodore and Dire Dawa. DENNIS KALUME HARRISON the youngest of the Harrison brothers had joined the group as the drummer in 1974 until his death from Hepatitis B on 1st August 1992 after which the group disbanded for about three months. Due to immense pressure from the fans who wanted the group to reform and keep on making music, their mother, the late FLORENCE MANDI HARRISON, better known as, ’MOTHER MUSHROOMS’, pleaded with them to restart the group. So TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON, BILLY SARRO HARRISON and JOHN KATANA HARRISON recruited DICKSON OWUOR ONYANGO on trumpet and congas. His younger brother FREDDY AWALLA ONYANGO on guitar and JOHN BUYA JILLO on drums, the band was back on the road again by December 1992 playing at the Indian Ocean Beach Club on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. GEORGE ZIRRO HARRISON opted not to rejoin the group. Instead he settled in Mombasa and started doing the hotel circuit again with his JABALI Jazz band.
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TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON made a brief appearance with THEM MUSHROOMS on 14th July 2004 at the COSMOPOLIS MUSIC FESTIVAL in Kavala, Greece. The band had by then changed its name to UYOGA which is Swahili for Mushrooms.
TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON lived in Athens, Greece for three years, working as a DISH WASHER and TOILET ATTENDANT in restaurants. He played part time with the JAMBO KENYA CULTURAL TROUPE and the group KALIMBA, with MEJAOTIENO ONGUTO on bass guitar and his younger brother BARAKA AKAL ONGUTO on drums and vocals.
TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON has two sons who are accomplished musicians in their own right. LOUIS MULASHANI HARRISON [born 1976] plays bass guitar and sings, his elder brother, BIGCAT MATANO HARRISON [born 1973] plays guitar, keyboards and sings. They were part of the group ‘BIG MATATA’ which included, WALTER "WOLITA" MWANGOMBE on keyboards and vocals, LIONESS AFREEKA on Alto sax and vocals, TITO ’MANTAI’ HARRISON on drums and vocals and LEE BAKERO HARRISON on Tenor sax, congas and vocals. BIG MATATA were based in Nairobi, Kenya playing in hotels, clubs and at private functions. They had a three months stints at the HOWARD JOHNSON HOTEL in ABU DHABI in the United Arab Emirates. They performed at the SAUTI ZA BUSARA CULTURAL FESTIVAL in Zanzibar and also performed in Kampala in Uganda. They also played in Lecce, Italy and Athens in Greece. They backed the Jamaican reggae mega star GREGORY ISAACS during his tour of Kenya in 2002.
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BIGCAT MATANO HARRISON and LOUIS ‘JAHLOU’ HARRISON growing up in BUXTON ESTATE, MOMBASA.
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THEM MUSHROOMS DISCOGRAPHY 1980 MOMBASA/KENYA HAKUNA MATATA MATESO/BONDE KWA BONDE
two singles POLYGRAM RECORDS
1981 MAMA AFRICA
album CBS RECORDS
1982 SAVE THE RHINO
single POLYGRAM RECORDS
1983 20 GREAT YEARS OF UHURU
single POLYGRAM RECORDS
1984 MAISHA MAREFU/MUSH DANCE
single POLYGRAM RECORDS
1985 NEW HORIZONS
album POLYGRAM RECORDS
1987 AT THE CARNIVORE
album POLYGRAM RECORDS
1988 BEWARE OF AIDS/JIKING NA UKIMWI
single POLYGRAM RECORDS
1988 GOING PLACES
album POLYGRAM RECORDS
1989 ALMOST THERE
album POLYGRAM RECORDS
1990 WHERE WE BELONG
album POLYGRAM RECORDS
1991 ZILIZOPENDWA VOL 1
album MUSHROOM RECORDS
1992 ZILIZOPENDWA VOL 2
album MUSHROOM RECORDS
1993 NI YIYO
album MUSHROOM RECORDS
1994 IN DUBAI
album FONOON AL EMARATN
1995 KAZI NI KAZI
album KELELE RECORDS
1996 JAMBO BWANA
album KELELE RECORDS
2000 ZILIZOPENDWA VOL 3
album MUSHROOM RECORDS
TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON SOLO PROJECTS 2000 NYAMBURA [with BIG MATATA]
album KALANDA PRODUCTIONS
2000 GOING ON SAFARI
single KALANDA PRODUCTIONS
2001 HAKUNA MATATA (compilation)
album KALANDA PRODUCTIONS
2002 BADILISHA
single KALANDA PRODUCTIONS
2003 MWIKALI WAKWA
single KALANDA PRODUCTIONS
2004 WELCOME TO ATHENS
single KALANDA PRODUCTIONS
2005 TZATZIKI
single KALANDA PRODUCTIONS.
9 TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON went back to Kenya in NOVEMBER 2007 after three long years of FRUSTRATION, HUMILIATION and DISCRIMINATION in Greece. He was offered a job as GENERAL MANAGER at the FLORIDA NIGHT CLUB in Mombasa, where he worked till April 2009, when he had to resign after a fall in the bathroom which resulted in the loss of his left eye. Despite undergoing several operations to repair the damaged RETINA in the left eye both in Nairobi and in Bangalore, India, none were successful. TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON is now totally BLIND. Luckily, he is now able to live an almost NORMAL LIFE after graduating from a SIX MONTHS COURSE of SPECIALISED TRAINING at the KENYA SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND in Nairobi. He is now back playing with the group he founded way back on 12 th December 1972, THEM MUSHROOMS.
TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON’s latest recordings include the songs… ‘HOME IS ALWAYS BEST’ in which he pleads to AFRICAN leaders to embrace PATRIOTISM, GOOD GOVERNANCE and PROPER MANAGEMENT of NATURAL RESOURCES and no one would ever think of leaving AFRICA for the non-existent ’GREENER PASTURES’ in Europe.
VIDEO ‘HOME IS ALWAYS BEST’ BY TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON.
10 ‘JAMBO PAPA FRANCIS’ is a remix of the song ‘KENYA HAKUNA MATATA’ in which he THANKS THE HOLY FATHER for taking time to visit KENYA in November 2015. To stand by and with KENYANS against the RAMPANT and RUN AWAY CORRUPTION in the GOVERNMENT, which is getting to be a very HEAVY BURDEN on ordinary KENYANS. And also against RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM and TERRORISM which in recent years, have caused so much DEATH, DESTRUCTION, MISERY and SUFFERING in KENYA.
VIDEO 'JAMBO PAPA FRANCIS' BY TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON.
TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON - NOVEMBER 2015.
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KENYA HAKUNA MATATA AWARDS TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON with THEM MUSHROOMS
SILVER DISC AWARD for KENYA HAKUNA MATATA in 1982.
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GOLD DISC AWARD for KENYA HAKUNA MATATA in 1984.
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PLATINUM DISC AWARD for
KENYA HAKUNA MATATA in 1987.
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On DISPLAY left to right
PLATINUM, SILVER and GOLD DISC AWARDS for KENYA HAKUNA MATATA 1987.
VIDEO ‘KENYA HAKUNA MATATA’ BY TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON.
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THEM MUSHROOMS, TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON sitting on the left.
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THEM MUSHROOMS GROUP.
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TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON ON STAGE at the SEVERIN SEALODGE.
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TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON in MUSHROOMS studio office.
TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON in MUSHROOMS studio reception.
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TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON in MUSHROOMS studio.
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TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON at the AFRICANA SEALODGE in DIANI.
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TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON performing in ATHENS, GREECE
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TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON LIVE ON STAGE IN ATHENS.
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TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON at the April 1st 2011 COAST NITE CONCERT at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre KICC in Nairobi.
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TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON at another COAST NITE event at the KICC Nairobi in October 2014.
TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON LIVE ON STAGE.
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LAST GROUP FOTOS OF THEM MUSHROOMS WITH GEORGE ZIRRO HARRISON A FEW MONTHS BEFORE HE PASSED ON, ON 7th Dec 2015.
John Katana Harrison, George Zirro Harrison, Teddy Kalanda Harrison, Billy Sarro Harrison.
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THANK YOU FOR READING MY STORY
TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON
To sample TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON’s recordings to date, please click on the www.mdundo.com/a/11535 TEDDY KALANDA HARRISON is a member of the German music society GEMA, number 617877. He is managed by MARLIESE BACKAERT for MARBACK MANAGEMENT in EUPEN/BELGIUM. Photo and type setting by MARLIESE BACKAERT for KALAMAR PRODUCTIONS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED by KALANDA MUSIC 16/03/2016.