Maizie Williams talks Boney M
Musically and stylistically speaking, the 1970s are synonymous with one big concept spelt out in five short letters: D.I.S.C.O. One band just as inextricable with the beloved, colourful, multi-medium genre is Boney M, whose debut album launched in 1976, and whom were responsible, during their funkalicious heyday for #1 singles Sunny’, ‘Daddy Cool’ and 8 other top 10 tracks.
Although the glittery, rainbow curtain has fallen for many musical outfits (and, thankfully, other kinds of outfits… groovy baby!) of the era, Boney M still continue to inspire joy to this day, keeping the disco inferno burning with a spate of UK festival dates in the calendar, not to mention an upcoming eight-date Australian tour starting in early October. We caught up with disco queen, Maizie Williams, and found out how she does it all…
Hi Maizie! It’s 6.40am here in Sydney where I’m calling you from – but it must be Monday evening where you are?
Yes! It’s been glorious weather just outside of London where I live, and the band have a really busy couple of months coming up, so I’ve just been chilling out, doing bits and pieces, and have been out in the garden enjoying the weather. Here in the UK we only get a couple of nice days where you can really do that every year so I’ve been making the most of it.
Is that a kind of average day for you? I suppose it’s been difficult to plan ‘normal days’ ever since you joined the band…
I’ve learned to really enjoy taking every day as it comes. Of course, I have my hobbies, I do charity work and love sports… but I tend not to plan anything but the biggest priorities, which I think is important when you’re touring for most of the year. We travelled so much in 2017 that we’re pulling back a bit as we burned ourselves out a little. The summertime shows are here in the UK so that takes the pressure off from having to fly all over the place!
The first Boney M album ‘Take The Heat off Me’ was released in 1976, that’s an incredible length of time to be active in music… leaving not much time for anything else. When the group formed, had you any idea of the lengths it would take you… did you always dream of becoming a star?
Even from a really early age, I loved being on stage performing, and I knew that there was a place for me somewhere in entertainment. I actually started out modelling, though, something that was, at the time, quite bold and different. In the early 70s, the only model who existed really was Twiggy, and if you weren’t a Twiggy, well, your options were limited!
I didn’t let that deter me though, and once I got my diploma in London from the modelling academy, I worked there for a few years, meeting some very fabulous people and enjoying everything the industry had to offer!
My agency called to offer me two choices for international travel – either going to Germany or Italy. From a fashion standpoint, Germany was an unusual choice, but something there just felt right. In between jobs, a friend and I always used to hang out drinking coffee at this one cafe… and one day, Farian [Boney M’s German producer] swanned in looking for me. His translator explained that he’d heard about my style and needed another black girl for a new group he was forming, and that, if I agreed to be in the band, the record company would provide me with a flat to live in and food to eat! I tested out a couple of times in the studio and that was that – I was in the band and everything took off from there: now here we are, 40 years later!
That’s quite a story – who would have known where your choice to move to Germany instead of Italy all that time ago. Thinking back again to those earlier days, what did Boney M really stand for as a band? And what do you stand for in 2018?
I’m proud to say that I think that Boney M. have always stood to create excitement and inspire joy into people’s lives through our music and energy, and that we still, to this day, stand for that. We’ve had so many people over the years share their stories of how Boney M. has touched their live…how they remember where exactly they were when they first heard one of our songs, or those who have had our music play at their weddings… stuff like that, which I think is just wonderful.
What’s inspiring and exciting is that we still continue to find new-generation fans to this day. Just this year, we had a little boy on stage at one of our concerts telling us how ‘Ma Baker’ was his favourite song – crazy to think, as that song came out so many decades ago! That’s really what we stand for, and the reason behind why we still continue to tour globally to this day. The upcoming shows in Australia will be really fun for us – we always get such a good vibe from the audience, everyone in the place is always up dancing and singing.
Thank you so much, Maizie, it’s been so inspiring to talk to you! Groove on!
Interview by Cherry Anna Brearley.
Boney M 2018 Tour Dates
Sunday 7th October ADELAIDE, The Gov
Wednesday 10th October PERTH, Astor Theatre
Friday 12th October BRISBANE, Eatons Hill Hotel (Seated)
Saturday 13th October TWEED HEADS, Twin Towns
Tuesday 16th October NEWCASTLE, Wests New Lambton
Thursday 18th October CANBERRA, Southern Cross Club
Friday 19th October SYDNEY Enmore Theatre
Saturday 20th October MELBOURNE, Palais Theatre
Tickets from: https://metropolistouring.com/tours/boney-m-featuring-maizie-williams/
