Born: 1961. Died: 1997

A musician of a Leonard Zhakata mold, the 20th century's final decade saw Leonard Dembo emerge as the latest in a line of domestic superstars. Some consider his music to be classic Zimbabwean rhumba, while other feel its sungura. One thing is for certain; no matter how it is classified, it is good! Despite starting his musical career in 1985, Leonard Dembo didn't hit full-stride until the 1990s. The former cattle herder became insanely popular with his 1992 hit Chitekete, in which his lyrics drew upon traditional Shona sayings. According to Afropop, the track was so popular (it sold more than 100 000 copies) that it became a standard wedding song. Dembo and his band, Barura Express, stuck to their guitar band-sound, pumping out both danceable and singable hits. Sadly, tragedy struck as the band hit full stride. Dembo died before his music had the opportunity to truly reach international audiences.

Despite the death of their talismanic leader, Barura Express has continued touring and recording without Dembo. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.