Hooray! Hooray! It’s a Holi-Holiday…. well almost!
As work activities in the office begin to wind down and the festive vibes crank up a gear, many of us start to get into the spirit of the season. Christmas tunes dominate radio playlists and 70s disco band Boney M is sure to feature.
Boney M is the ultimate disco band of the 70s. This Euro-Caribbean influenced group based in Germany masterminded a number of catchy hits over the years, many of which still grace the airwaves today.
About Boney M
It was 1976 when Boney M first got together as a group. Consisting of three women and one man, the original line-up included Liz Mitchell, Marcia Barrett, Maizie Williams and Bobby Farrell. The band was managed by German producer, Frank Farian.
Although Boney M was based in Germany, each band member had roots in the Caribbean – Liz and Marcia both came from Jamaica, Maizie from Montserrat and Bobby had Aruban ancestry.
This Caribbean heritage heavily influenced the style of Boney M’s music, and by mixing in a European flavour, the result was a distinct sound that harmoniously blended both exotic and disco vibes. With catchy beats and infectious dancing (in fact, producer Frank Farian claimed Bobby’s main role in the group was just to dance and look good), Boney M fast gained an army of followers over the years.
Daddy Cool was the first big hit for the band. Although it was released in 1976, the song took a while to catch on. After this, the hits kept coming, with Ma Baker, Sunny, Rasputin and Rivers of Babylon/Brown Girl in the Ring all becoming chart successes. The band also had a Christmas smash hit with Mary’s Boy Child – Oh My Lord, which is still receives air time today during the festive period.
Since 1976, Boney M has sold more than 150 million records, enjoying success right across Europe and other countries, including the Far East.
Hooray! Hooray! It’s a Holi-Holiday
Another one of Boney M’s hits is the distinctively catchy Hooray! Hooray! It’s a Holi-Holiday. Released in 1979, the song enjoyed huge success across Europe, peaking at number three in the UK charts and at number four in Germany. Taken from the movie Disco Fever, and with its B-side track Ribbons of Blue, this song was the first single to depict a star-spangled Boney M logo with a blue background on its cover.
Since its release, this song has been covered many times by artists across the globe, often translated into different languages. In the UK, The Cheeky Girls created their own version, entitled Hooray, Hooray, It’s a Cheeky Holiday, which became a top five hit.
Hooray! Hooray! It’s a Holi-Holiday is an infectious ditty that has fast become an anthem for any type of celebration. To this day, you’ll hear it played at parties, events and other places to invoke a feel-good atmosphere.
Photo Credit: Bratislavsky / CC BY 2.0
