3 Mustaphas 3 did much to popularise world music in the mid- to late 80s, revealing a serious musical intent behind the elaborate mythology that saw each band member adopting 6 August as an official birthday in order to avoid confusion.
Niaveti Mustapha III (b. Tim Fienburgh; flutes, German bagpipes), Hijaz Mustapha (b. Ben Mandelson; violin, bouzouki), Houzam Mustapha (b. Nigel Watson (3); drums), Sabah Habas Mustapha (b. Colin Bass; bass, percussion), Kemo "Kem Kem" Mustapha (b. Kim Burton; accordion, piano), and Daoudi Mustapha (clarinet) made their UK debut in August 1982.
The humorous ensemble was first brought to public attention by BBC Radio 1 disc jockey John Peel. The band attracted a degree of criticism for not taking their music seriously, but the end product was still extremely popular with audiences both in Europe and the USA.
Niaveti Mustapha III (b. Tim Fienburgh; flutes, German bagpipes), Hijaz Mustapha (b. Ben Mandelson; violin, bouzouki), Houzam Mustapha (b. Nigel Watson (3); drums), Sabah Habas Mustapha (b. Colin Bass; bass, percussion), Kemo "Kem Kem" Mustapha (b. Kim Burton; accordion, piano), and Daoudi Mustapha (clarinet) made their UK debut in August 1982.
The humorous ensemble was first brought to public attention by BBC Radio 1 disc jockey John Peel. The band attracted a degree of criticism for not taking their music seriously, but the end product was still extremely popular with audiences both in Europe and the USA.