Germany-based Eurodisco group of the 1970s "Boney M" performed to a swinging and swaying audience in Gurgaon on Saturday night. With hits like "Rasputin", "Rivers of Babylon" and "Daddy Cool" under their belt, this was Boney M's first ever performance in the country. Boney M was formed by Frank Farian to cash in on the European dance sound pioneered by Giorgio Moroder on albums with Donna Summer. Having a stable vocal quarter-Marcha Barret, Bobby Farrel, Liz Mitchell and Mazie Williams, Boney M recorded its first single in Munich in 1971 in a local disco. The group separated in 1979 after the death of Farian, the lead male singer. Boney M also appeared in a Hollywood movie "Rappin" co-starring Mario Van Peeples.
Liz Mitchell, the only surviving member of the group, played on the golden library of songs that made the group a rage during the disco era. Mitchell said she was earlier worried of the tepid audience involvement, but later the crowd started enjoying. "The audiences were amazing. There were so many die hard fans. They wanted songs I hadn't sung in years. I will always take it back. Specially when we were going to stage they were not sounding so enthusiastic. I was little worried because he was trying to get them to sing. They did not applaud...but later on it was great and they all were wonderful," said Mitchell.
In the late 70s when "Daddy Cool" made it to No.1 in the UK charts, Boney M rivalled the Abba as one of the most successful group of its times. Their biggest hit to date has been an old Jamaican nursery rhyme "Brown Girl in the Ring" which ran to no. 1 slot for 40 weeks in a row in U.S. music charts.
