Hoola Bandoola Band
Encyclopedia
Hoola Bandoola Band was a Swedish
progg
group from the 1970s with leftist political texts. Leading members were Mikael Wiehe
and Björn Afzelius
.
, the biggest band of the Swedish progg movement. And where Nationalteatern put social realistic lyrics to rock songs, Hoola Bandoola had more political lyrics and swerved further from traditional rock.
The name is inspired by a fictional language spoken by ants in a Donald Duck
short cartoon, most likely "Tea for Two Hundred", directed in 1948 by Jack Hannah
, with ant language spoken by Pinto Colvig
.
The band was formed in 1970. In 1971, they had their first radio hit and were immediately contacted by two record companies, one commercial and one alternative, MNW. In the political climate of the 1970s, the choice of side was crucial, and by choosing the alternative company, Hoola Bandoola came to be the most well-known band on the alternative side in Sweden.
Their debut in 1971, Garanterat individuell, (Guaranteed to be individual) was hailed as the start of a new era for Swedish pop and was elected the album of the year. It was not overly political when it came to lyrics, but on the second album Vem kan man lita på?, (Who can you trust?) released the next year, the socialist message was clearer. It still sold very well and included long-lasting hits like Keops pyramid.
With På Väg, (On the way) recorded with a balalaika
orchestra, Hoola Bandoola became one of the best-selling groups in Sweden. In 1975 they released the fourth album Fri information (Free information), where the socialist message was more outspoken than ever before. And this time, Afzelius had written half of the songs, where before it had been Wiehe writing almost everything.
In 1975, the alternative movement gathered in opposition to a tennis game played between Sweden and Chile
, which at the time was under the military dictatorship of Pinochet, and for that event, Hoola Bandoola released Stoppa matchen (Stop the game) as a single. This was to be their last studio recording. In 1976, the band broke up and Wiehe and Afzelius started very successful careers as singer/songwriters, both together and by themselves.
After 20 years' absence, Hoola Bandoola reunited in 1996, playing warmup for Bob Dylan
and going on their own nationwide tour playing over 50 shows with a total over 200.000 people attending the tour. Recordings from this tour was released in 1999 after the death of Björn Afzelius on the album För dom som kommer sen (For those who come later). Each year on the anniversary of Afzelius death an award is given out to a person who has "done work in the spirit of Björn Afzelius".
In August 2011 the band played at the Malmö festival, promoting their new double CD.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
progg
Progg
Progg, a contraction of the Swedish word for "progressive music" was a left-wing and anti-commercial musical movement in Sweden that had its roots in the late 1960s, and its golden age in the 1970s. It should not be confused with the English expression progressive music or progressive rock. Progg...
group from the 1970s with leftist political texts. Leading members were Mikael Wiehe
Mikael Wiehe
Mikael Christian Wiehe is a Swedish singer, multi-instrumentalist and composer. As the main songwriter and driving force of Hoola Bandoola Band he was also one of the most important people in the proggmovement.-Career:...
and Björn Afzelius
Björn Afzelius
Björn Svante Afzelius was a Swedish singer, song writer and guitar player. Politically he was a socialist. His songs are about love, politics and joys in life....
.
History
Hoola Bandoola Band was, together with NationalteaternNationalteatern
Nationalteatern is a Swedish progg rock group from the 1970s that featured leftist political lyrics. It was originally a traveling theater ensemble with many members, most notably Ulf Dageby, Anders Melander, Totta Näslund, Nikke Ström, Hans Mosesson and Pale Olofsson.-History:Initially formed as a...
, the biggest band of the Swedish progg movement. And where Nationalteatern put social realistic lyrics to rock songs, Hoola Bandoola had more political lyrics and swerved further from traditional rock.
The name is inspired by a fictional language spoken by ants in a Donald Duck
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
short cartoon, most likely "Tea for Two Hundred", directed in 1948 by Jack Hannah
Jack Hannah
Jack Hannah was an animator, writer and director of animated shorts.Hannah was born January 15, 1913, in Nogales, Arizona. He moved to Los Angeles in 1931 to study at the Art Guild Academy. One of his first jobs was designing movie posters for Hollywood theaters...
, with ant language spoken by Pinto Colvig
Pinto Colvig
Vance DeBar "Pinto" Colvig was an American vaudeville actor, radio actor, newspaper cartoonist, prolific movie voice actor, and circus performer whose schtick was playing clarinet off-key while mugging....
.
The band was formed in 1970. In 1971, they had their first radio hit and were immediately contacted by two record companies, one commercial and one alternative, MNW. In the political climate of the 1970s, the choice of side was crucial, and by choosing the alternative company, Hoola Bandoola came to be the most well-known band on the alternative side in Sweden.
Their debut in 1971, Garanterat individuell, (Guaranteed to be individual) was hailed as the start of a new era for Swedish pop and was elected the album of the year. It was not overly political when it came to lyrics, but on the second album Vem kan man lita på?, (Who can you trust?) released the next year, the socialist message was clearer. It still sold very well and included long-lasting hits like Keops pyramid.
With På Väg, (On the way) recorded with a balalaika
Balalaika
The balalaika is a stringed musical instrument popular in Russia, with a characteristic triangular body and three strings.The balalaika family of instruments includes instruments of various sizes, from the highest-pitched to the lowest, the prima balalaika, secunda balalaika, alto balalaika, bass...
orchestra, Hoola Bandoola became one of the best-selling groups in Sweden. In 1975 they released the fourth album Fri information (Free information), where the socialist message was more outspoken than ever before. And this time, Afzelius had written half of the songs, where before it had been Wiehe writing almost everything.
In 1975, the alternative movement gathered in opposition to a tennis game played between Sweden and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, which at the time was under the military dictatorship of Pinochet, and for that event, Hoola Bandoola released Stoppa matchen (Stop the game) as a single. This was to be their last studio recording. In 1976, the band broke up and Wiehe and Afzelius started very successful careers as singer/songwriters, both together and by themselves.
After 20 years' absence, Hoola Bandoola reunited in 1996, playing warmup for Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
and going on their own nationwide tour playing over 50 shows with a total over 200.000 people attending the tour. Recordings from this tour was released in 1999 after the death of Björn Afzelius on the album För dom som kommer sen (For those who come later). Each year on the anniversary of Afzelius death an award is given out to a person who has "done work in the spirit of Björn Afzelius".
In August 2011 the band played at the Malmö festival, promoting their new double CD.
Discography
- Hoola Bandolla Export (1971)
- Garanterat Individuell (1971)
- Vem Kan Man Lita På? (1972)
- På Väg (1973)
- Stoppa Matchen (1975)
- Fri informationFri informationFri Information is a 1975 album by the Swedish progg and rock band Hoola Bandoola Band. It was recorded in August 1975 and released in October of the same year on the record label MNW Waxholm. The album is the band’s first with Björn Afzelius as a songwriter. Mikael Wiehe had previously written all...
(1975) - Ingenting Förändras Av Sig Själv - 5 cd box (1996)
- För Dom Som Kommer Sen - live (1999)