As Maurice and Carlton Turner tell it, they chose the name M.U.G.A.B.E.E. as a lark, at the suggestion of a friend who was in the car with them as they headed out to seek their fame and fortune in the music business. They liked the sound of "Mugabee" and made it into an acronym later to fit the letters (Men Under Guidance Acting Before Early Extinction).
Little did they know the name would be so much trouble. They get asked a lot what their connection is to the notorious president of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe, a man whose regime was likened yesterday by the Australian Prime Minister to that of the Nazis. The Turner brothers are quick to disavow any connection to Robert Mugabe, and considering their commitment to peace, love, harmony, personal responility and accountability for one's actions, they couldn't be farther apart philosophically from Robert Mugabe.
Still, their name does land them in hot water. At a workshop a couple of years ago at Virginia Tech, students there protested their appearance, assuming they were connected with the Zimbabwean regime. It all worked out eventually, and that is testament to the Turner brothers' ability to reach out to audiences and move them with just the right touch, respectful and powerful without being preachy.
You can see M.U.G.A.B.E.E. in action at Sandglass Theater tonight and Saturday with their theatrical piece "Batteries in the Killing Machine." I wholeheartedly recommend it. Call Sandglass Theater in Putney at 802-387-4051.