Chibadura was born John Nyamukokoko on 17 February 1957 in Bindura District, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).
[6] As a child Chibadura took care of his father's goats, and on finishing school he worked as a truck driver.
[3][9] They were also extremely popular in Mozambique, where they played to crowds of 40 thousand people and met Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano several times.
[10][1] Chibadura is primarily remembered as a player of sungura and, with his band the Tembo Brothers, of Congolese rumba.
[2] Chibadura is known for his "intense voice and achingly poignant lyrics," with themes of "downbeat misery: broken families, excessive dowries, [and] wasted opportunities.