Zanu PF youths storm flea market, seize Mapfumo's CDs

Zanu PF youths storm flea market, seize Mapfumo's CDs

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By Showbiz Reporter

ZANU PF loyalists last weekend swept through Harare's flea market stopping the sale of Thomas Mapfumo's Chaputika album, while the producer's father was attacked in Warren Park and his 4X4 Twincab vehicle burnt.

The chaos engulfing Mapfumo's politically-charged album comes amid moves by Gramma Records to prevent rival music label, Metro Studios from distributing the album recorded from a live show in the UK early this year, and released by Metro Studios in September.

Metro Studios temporarily suspended production of the album for three weeks while their lawyers, Mapfumo and the two recording companies were locked in discussions to reach an agreement outside court.

The producer of the album Rodreck Chipezeze, of Quality Video and Film Productions UK said they had received a call from the Home Affairs Ministry asking them what they thought Mapfumo meant with his lyrics on the song Masoja neMapurisa, before the attacks on vendors began.

"A lawless band of youths claiming to be Zanu PF supporters raided the flea market and ordered vendors to stop selling the album," Chipezeze told New Zimbabwe.com. "They also burnt down my father's car, and he escaped with bruises as he attempted to save the car."

Through lawyers Gill Godlonton and Gerrans, Gramma has ordered Metro Studios to stop producing and selling copies of the music, declare and surrender proceeds of the sale of CDs and tapes and surrender unsold material to them.

The company claims to have signed a contract with Mapfumo in 1999 under which Mapfumo granted them "sole and exclusive rights in the territory of Zimbabwe to manufacture or have manufactured on its behalf, advertise, sell or dispose of all recordings made by the artiste prior to December 1 1999, and all new recordings made by the artiste after that date and during the natural life of the artiste".

Its lawyers added that the agreement upon which the 10-track album was produced was "doctored" as it did not give the UK-based Quality Video and Film Productions, which contracted Metro to produce the album, rights to produced the music on cassette and CD.

Quality Video entered a contract that was signed by William Mapfumo, on behalf of his elder brother, to record for video a live show by the Chimurenga music guru at Milton Keynes.

According to Metro Chaputika, which came as Mapfumo's fans were eagerly awaiting new material from the veteran musician, sold 15 000 copies in the first week of its release and was still the company's top-selling album.

The album contains hard-hitting, politically charged compositions such as Masoja Nemapurisa and Uchatongwa Wega and renditions of Mapfumo's previous recordings with Gramma Records.

The company resumed production last week and said it would deposit proceeds from sales in its lawyer's trust account "until an arbitrator determines who should benefit".

"We are saying until they prove in court that they have a valid contract with Mapfumo or unless they bring Thomas Mapfumo to confirm that indeed he has such a contract with them, our client will go ahead with their contract with Quality Video and Film," said Metro's lawyer Witness Zhangazha.

"If Thomas Mapfumo is double dealing, he should be exposed and if they prove their case we will be compensated by the person who gave us the rights to run copies of the album."
Additional reporting Zimbabwe Standard
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