That is a name I had not heard in decades.
When I studied in the Soviet Union many of the East European students loved the group Boney M and were surprised that none of the Americans in our group had heard of it. To them, Boney M was supposed to be one of the leading bands in the U.S.
The Soviet Bloc students played Boney M in much the way we might play various classic rock anthems — they knew all the words and swayed together as the music played.
When I returned to the U.S. I even went out and bought a Boney M album, more as a momento than anything else. It would be impossible to explain to friends the absurdity of the East European perception without actually playing the music.
I can’t recall the last time that I thought of Boney M before today, when I saw a Tweet by the Lebanese website Naharnet that “Boney M’s Bobby Farrell Dies” with a link to this article:
Bobby Farrell, singer and dancer with 1970’s disco group Boney M, died early Thursday in a hotel room in Saint Petersburg, where he had been performing, city officials said. He was 61.
The Saint Petersburg investigative committee of prosecutors said the Aruba-born Dutch singer was found dead in his bed by a staffer at the city’s Ambassador hotel.
“There was no sign of violent death,” a committee source said. “The investigation continues.”
Farrell died in St. Petersburg, Russia. I guess the former Soviets still were his best fans.
Here is a video of Boney M’s Rasputin, shot on scene in Moscow, which I have to admit I kinda like. Maybe because it brings back memories.
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