A former manager of Chimurenga music legend Thomas
Mapfumo’s Blacks Unlimited, Cuthbert Chiromo, has been dragged into the
controversial fallout between Mapfumo and his former spokesperson Blessing Vava
and Entertainment Republic boss Max Mugaba.
Mugaba’s company was partnering Mapfumo’s Chimurenga Music
Company (CMC) in a series of shows the United States based crooner held last
December across the country, and according to a contract signed by the two,
Mugaba was to foot all the expenses and get 25% of the net profit.
Mukanya has, however, accused Mugaba and Vava of “fleecing
him” of the proceeds and in a recent interview with a local publication, the
73-year-old musician, who is due to fly out to his base tomorrow, said “Max and
Vava disappeared with the money” after every show.
The Standard Style last week ran an analysis of several
factors — economic and logistical — that resulted in poor attendances at
Mukanya’s shows, and this week, we unravel the backstage tussles that left both
Mukanya and Mugaba poorer, and dragged Chiromo and other unnamed individuals
into the matrix.
According to a copy of a contract between CMC and
Entertainment Republic, the two companies, working as a joint venture, agreed
to “pool resources and expertise for the production of live music shows in
Zimbabwe up to January 4, and to share the ‘net profit with Mukanya due to get
75% and Mugaba 25%.’
This was unlike other arrangements where there is a
promoter who manages shows and invites an artiste to perform for a flat fee.
In the case of CMC and Entertainment Republik, there was an
agreement to share profits or the burden of losses in the event of such
happening.
Vava refused to comment on details regarding the fallout
and referred all questions to Mapfumo’s manager Austin Sibanda.
“I appreciate the time, honour and opportunity Mukanya gave
me to work with him as his publicist. It is unfortunate that it has ended this
way, I hope one day we will find each other,” Vava said.
Documents in the possession of The Standard Style indicate
that the shows, which were poorly attended, resulted in huge losses.
Speaking from the US, Sibanda confirmed that the shows had
not made the anticipated profits.
“We have the documentation that shows there was actually a
loss. We have had a great working relationship with Mugaba and I can confirm
that instead, we actually owe him money, not the other way round,” Sibanda
said.
According to documents showing returns from ticket sales,
the amounts of revenue realised were paltry.
At the Mutare show, held on December 21, a total of 600
tickets were issued and 442 were sold at a value of $8 924, while the expenses,
which included a sound system supplied by one Nyasha at $5 000, stood at $9
370, leaving a loss of $446.
At the show held at Club Hideout on New Year’s Eve, only
356 of the 645 issued tickets were sold, and the show realised revenue
totalling $3 065 (bond), US$150 and R500, and does not show the expenses
incurred.
From the Kadoma show, total revenue of $1 935 (bond),
US$893 and R500 was realised and the document does not show the expenses, and
in Bulawayo, less than 200 people attended the show held at Large City Hall.
A source close to the developments revealed that as a
result of the failure of the tour to attract huge numbers, and the subsequent
decision to reduce the ticket prices, Mugaba was left counting huge losses.
Having committed to pay for Mapfumo’s accomodation in
Harare, Mugaba has since signed an acknowledgement of debt document seen by The
Standard Style.
In the document, Mugabe commits to pay $1 980 before
February 12 to Patricia Gunda “in respect of a verbal contract for the hire and
use of premises” and has since handed over a Mercedes Benz Atego 815 truck to
Gunda as collateral.
Another document from Click and Pay, a company that was
partly handling ticket sales, shows they managed to sell tickets worth $8 338
against their operating expenses of $18 990,97, and are owed about $10 000.
“Things were not well financially and at some point
Mukanya’s fans had to chip in to provide some things that were needed,” said a
source.
Sibanda said after realising that the shows were not
attracting the needed numbers, largely due to the economic pressures the
country was going through, he suggested that the tour be cancelled, but Mukanya
insisted that the shows had to continue.
Sources said that as the tour was failing to attract
returns, Chiromo then came in.
Chiromo was Mapfumo’s manager from the early 2000s when the
musician left for the United States.
According to sources, Chiromo, who remained in Zimbabwe,
was handling Mapfumo’s properties and affairs, including the controversial
issue of Mapfumo’s five vehicles impounded by police in 2000.
The two reportedly had a fallout and at that time, Mukanya
allegedly accused Chiromo of abusing a power of attorney to sell Mapfumo’s Mt
Pleasant house.
However, in an interview on Friday, Mapfumo said he is the
one who instructed Chiromo to sell the house.
Sources indicated that Chiromo was unhappy about the way he
was fired by Mapfumo, and he believed Vava and Sibanda, who subsequently took
over to manage Mapfumo, were behind his ouster.
“So, as Mukanya was failing to come to terms with the
losses incurred during the shows, Chiromo was one of the people who came from
behind the scenes, and influenced Mukanya to lash out at Vava and Mugaba,” said
the source.
However, Chiromo said he was not involved in what was
happening. He said on the day Mapfumo gave his interview, they had had a
meeting at Harare Town House “on other matters and we wanted to go for dinner
so, Mapfumo wanted to go to the newspaper.
“I would not refuse to drive him to where he wanted to go.
I do not need anything from Mapfumo, I worked with him on big projects. I have
bigger things to do than be embroiled in petty fights. I even warned Mapfumo
that their shows were disorganised and being a big brand he should not have
done such shows.”
Mapfumo confirmed he was working with his former manager,
but the veteran musician said it was not related to his music.
“Cuthbert is someone we work with, but in a different
capacity. He is someone who just assists us, but not related to music,” said
Mapfumo.
Asked about the status of his current manager Sibanda,
Mapfumo said: “I am yet to talk to Austin because he is back in the United
States. I will only talk to him when I return to the US.”
Mugaba said the returns did not come as anticipated.
“From my side I met all my obligatons. I feel for him as a
muscian who may not understand the management side of events, and I understand
there are people who have surrounded him, and influenced him to sideline his
original band members. I was surprised that at the Glen Lorne house where we
were renting for him, there were now many people going there, with some even
staying there,” Mugaba said.
“I have great respect for Mapfumo, mudhara wedu [he is our
old man]. Remember when he came in April, we did his show and I paid him $55
000 in hard currency, so there is no way I would fleece him, why would I do
that?
“The arrangement was that the shows would pay for
themselves, and it did not happen as expected because of the economic problems
in the country. At one show I had also suggested that they do not continue to
perform, realising it would be a loss, but Mudhara insisted,” said Mugaba.
Mugaba said he was updating Mapfumo’s management all the
way on critical payments that had to be made to service providers.
“Most of payments to service providers were arrangements as
we hoped to pay after proceeds from the show, but it did not happen as such, so
I am in debt, and I am making efforts to pay.” Standard
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