Runn Family

Runn Family was a Zimbabwean music group founded by Peter Muparutsa. Bothwell Nyamhondera, Jerry Muparutsa and Alois Muyaruka.

Career

The group was founded in 1978 by Peter Muparutsa who was the bassist and lead vocalist, Bothwell Nyamhondera who was the drummer, Jerry Muparutsa who played the lead guitar and the late Alois Muyaruka who played the rhythm guitar.The word Runn is an acronym for Real Unique Natural Notion.^[1]

In 1978, an all-new look Runn Family emerged with an almost all-Muparutsa line-up which comprised of the original members, Peter and Jerry, Michael Muparutsa (keyboards), Pamure Machisa (drums), Newman Chipeni (guitar and keyboards), Alex Muparutsa (trumpet and vocals) and Dickson Shadenyi (saxophone).

The group released its debut album titled In Search Of in 1980 and it was marketed abroad by Shed Productions. In 1986, with a new line-up comprising Peter, Jerry and Michael as well as new signings from the Runn Family's sister group; The Spree comprising Golden Muparutsa (bass and vocals), Tendai “Edison” Muparutsa (vocals), Lawrence “Chamu” Muparutsa (drums), Fortune Mparutsa (keyboards), Anslem Boka (drums) as well as the Mkhwananzi twins, Godfrey and John (vocals) the group introduced a style of music that had its roots in Zimbabwean music and fused with Western and global influences.

The group released a number of singles which included their breakthrough hit, Hatichina Wekutamba Naye, which was a tribute to the late Samora Machel. The group also released hits such as Gumbo Mumba Gumbo Kunze, Moyo Muti, Inhapitapi Chete and Ishe Komborerai. At the infancy of the Child Survival Foundation, a charity organisation founded by the late First Lady Sally Mugabe], the Runn Family was commissioned to do the theme song, Children On The Front Line, One Child, dies Every Four Minutes.

The group disbanded in the 1990s.^[2] In 2014, the group now comprising of only two of its founding members Peter and Jerry Muparutsa released an album titled Echo of a Child’s Anthem^[3]