Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 19, 2026

Rokotto

Rokotto was a Britfunk band from Dundee, Scotland, active in the late 1970s. It was made up of vocalists Sister B, Hugh Paul, and Cleveland Walker, backed by guitarist Derek Henderson, bassist Owen Wisdom, keyboardist Stewart Garden, and drummer Bongo Macleod.

Last revised
Jul 19, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
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Citations
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Source
Wikipedia ↗
Rokotto
OriginDundee, Scotland
GenresBritfunk
Years active1975–81
LabelState Records
Past members
  • Sister B (vocals)
  • Hugh Paul (vocals)
  • Cleveland Walker (vocals)
  • Derek Henderson (guitar)
  • Owen "Lloyd" Wisdom (bass)
  • Stewart Garden (keyboards)
  • Howard "Bongo" Macleod (drums)

Rokotto was a Britfunk band from Dundee, Scotland, active in the late 1970s. It was made up of vocalists Sister B (Lorna Bannon),1 Hugh Paul, and Cleveland Walker, backed by guitarist Derek Henderson, bassist Owen Wisdom, keyboardist Stewart Garden, and drummer Bongo Macleod.2

Overview

The band was formed in September 1975,3 when Caribbean musicians McLeod, Walker, and Wisdom travelled to Dundee as part of a steel drum band, and fell in with musicians on the local funk scene; the name Rokotto being "the word for 'making love' in some African dialect".4 The band soon gained a residency at Ronnie Scott's club in London5 and in August 1976 signed to State Records,6

The band made its television debut on ITV show The Entertainers on 10 April 1977, the episode consisting of 30 minutes of a concert.7 Rokotto enjoyed two hits in the UK singles chart; "Boogie On Up", which reached number 40 in November 1977, and "Funk Theory", which reached number 49 the following June,8 the band performing each single on Top of the Pops.9

The band's final single releases came in 1981. McLeod and Walker later formed the funk band McLeod,10 Sister B - under a new nom de disque, Lorna B - became a backing vocalist and singer on television themes (including children's' television show Fun House) and adverts, and also sang with Shakatak on the Night Birds album.1112 In 1995 she scored a pair of top 40 hits as guest vocalist with DJ Scott.13

References

References

  1. "Dundee lass to sing for Prince Charles". Dundee Evening Telegraph: 1. 27 October 1988.
  2. Betts, Graham (2004). Complete UK Hit Singles 1952–2004. London: Collins. p. 658.
  3. "Musicscene". Fife Free Press: 25. 24 June 1977.
  4. "Introducing Rokotto". Blues & Soul. November 1977.
  5. "Big names at Caley...". Highland News: 2. 5 August 1976.
  6. Smith, Ramsay (11 August 1976). "Pop talk". Aberdeen Evening Express: 8.
  7. "The Entertainers: Rokotto". TV Times: 45. 14 April 1977.
  8. "Rokotto". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  9. "Rokotto". TOTP Archive. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  10. "Wanted - next big thing on the Scottish music scene". Dundee Courier: 7. 4 June 1992.
  11. "Lorna B returns and wants to party on". The Stage: 12. 27 April 1995.
  12. "Lorna Bannon at the Jazz Bank". Perthshire Advertiser: 18. 25 July 1995.
  13. "DJ Scott featuring Lorna B hits". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 November 2025.