Robert Dumakude Bango (born Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, a descendant of the Kalanga people) is a DJ, music journalist, and radio programmer. He is the son of Grey Mabhalani Bango, a trade-unionist and tribal chief who served as guide to Joshua Nkomo during his 1953 visit to the shrines of the Matopos Hills (now Matobo National Park).[1]
Arriving in London from the then unrecognised state of Rhodesia in 1974, he worked at the Hard Rock Cafe as a dishwasher, where he was discovered by Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott when one of his homemade mixtapes was played over the sound system.[2]
From 1976-1980 Bango ran the Camden Town record shop Sapien Sounds with Susan Alpert (cousin of musician and A&M Records founder Herb Alpert), a hangout that was frequented by members of the Eurythmics and the Buzzcocks, among others.[3] He also worked as a DJ at local venues and on Radio London.
Since moving to Australia in 1981, Bango has DJ'd at the radio stations 6UVS Fm (now RTRFM, Perth), Triple J Fm (national) and Bondi Fm (Sydney), as well as at nightclubs Australia-wide. He has also written for the music publications Rock Australia magazine, Countdown magazine, Rolling Stone and the Melody Maker.
Bango is currently a DJ and programmer on the internet station network Lortron.com, via his radio/arts channel, 'Rhythm, Passion and Grace' (RPG). He lives in Byron Bay, northern New South Wales.
References
edit- ^ Terence Ranger: Voices From the Rocks: Nature, Culture & History in the Matopos Hills of Zimbabwe, Indiana University Press 1999. ISBN 025321288X
- ^ Mark Putterford: Phil Lynott: The Rocker, Omnibus Press 2002. ISBN 0711991049
- ^ Perfect Sound Forever: Simon Reynolds (originally published in Time Out London, April 2005