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When rain dampened disco group Boney M’s Hong Kong debut

Read how the West Germany-based, Jamaican disco stars first arrived in Hong Kong – and how they were asked to ‘tone down’ the sexy parts

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Boney M returns to Hong Kong for a “compensation show” at the Hong Kong Stadium on May 24 after their original show, scheduled for May 12, was cancelled due to heavy rain. Photo: SCMP Archives
Dave Besseling
“More than $1 million worth of sound equipment – 12 tons of it – will arrive here next month, accompanied by 31 musicians, dressers, secretaries, technicians, and stage road crew which comprise the four member group Boney M,” reported the South China Morning Post on April 16, 1979. “Already nearly all of the 10,000 tickets for the group’s concert at the Hongkong stadium have been sold.
South China Morning Post previews the arrival of Boney M on April 16, 1979. Credit: SCMP Archives
South China Morning Post previews the arrival of Boney M on April 16, 1979. Credit: SCMP Archives

“The group was first conceived in Germany by its manager, Mr Frank Farian, in 1976, and its first big hit was ‘Daddy Cool’. Since then there have been a string of hits including ‘Love For Sale’, ‘Ma Baker’, ‘Belfast’, ‘Rivers of Babylon’, ‘Brown Girl in the Ring’ and ‘Rasputin’.

“They have also done tours of the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe and fairly recently Russia, where they proved to be very popular.

The West Germany-based Jamaican disco group, Boney M, performs at a concert at the Hong Kong Stadium in May, 1979. Photo: SCMP Archives
The West Germany-based Jamaican disco group, Boney M, performs at a concert at the Hong Kong Stadium in May, 1979. Photo: SCMP Archives

“The group’s agent, Mr Bryan Miller [said], ‘They asked us to tone down the sexy parts, which we couldn’t understand as the girls are beautiful, the costumes are good and the show is not at all sexily oriented. Anyway we went ahead as if we were doing a show in Europe and everybody had a good time.”

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