Amazulu (band)

Amazulu were a predominantly female British ska and new wave band, who had a string of reggae inflected UK hits in the early to mid-1980's.

The band (whose name was taken from the Zulu word amaZulu, which translates to "the people from Heaven") was comprised of: lead singer Anne-Marie Ruddock, guitarist Margo Sagov, bassist Clare Kenny, percussionist Sharon Bailey, saxophonist Lesley Beach, and the sole male member, Nardo Bailey on drums.

Managed by former X-Ray Spex and Adam & the Ants promoter Falcon Stuart, Amazulu's first single "Cairo" was a modest success in the UK and reached the lower end of the UK singles chart. After an appearance on the British sit-com The Young Ones in 1984, performing their single "Moonlight Romance", the band gained a wider audience. They achieved greater success with the release of their July 1985 single "Excitable", which reached the UK Top 20. The band's success was followed by other hits, including; "Don't You Just Know It", "Too Good To Be Forgotten", and "Montego Bay", which was a minor hit in the USA. Their self-titled sole full-length album was released on Island Records in 1986.

After a contentious break-up in 1987, Anne-Marie Ruddock, Sharon Bailey, and Lesley Beach briefly played on as Amazulu II without much success. Clare Kenny later joined the initial line-up of Coming Up Roses, and subsequently became a session player for Sinéad O'Connor and Shakespear's Sister. More recently she has played bass with Irish singer-songwriter Damien Dempsey, both on record and in his touring band.