Andy Brown’s sister in music row

By Sophia Chese-Msowa

Zvishavane-based musician Brandon Mvura, who hogged the limelight after winning the Masvingo Music Awards, has been accused of stealing Andy Brown’s sister Queen Mashie’s music. 

Mvura is said to have accessed Queen Mashie’s music online and added his voice on the tracks that are now being marketed as his compositions.

He took the tracks without even changing the titles and a serious cold war looms between the artistes because Queen Mashie is fuming over the development.

Some of the songs which he is accused of stealing are “Gona Rinorapa” from her album “Kare-Kare” while tracks “Ndiwe Wandakada”, “Moto” and “Ndodzungaira” are also appearing on social media under Mvura’s name.

The issue came to light after a disc jockey, Shingie Mafaro, got the music from Mvura and later realised the songs belonged to Queen Mashie. The DJ then contacted her and said she did not know Mvura and was surprised that her songs had been stolen.

Shingie Mafaro who once interviewed Mvura after he won awards has since apologised to Queen Mashie saying he was not aware that Mvura had taken her music without her knowledge.

“I am so sorry to hear about the music I posted on YouTube under Brandon Mvura. I did not know that you were not aware of the development.

“He sent me the songs when I interviewed him and asked me to upload them on YouTube,” he said.

He said he could do everything he can to clear his name on the issue. In an interview Queen Mashie said she was heartbroken that after so many years of hard work, someone just came and stole her music.

“I am torn, I shed tears. After all the hard work in composing and recording, someone comes and takes my music and puts his voice and claims the songs are his.

“These are my songs. Please help me locate this guy. Legal actions are underway, but we need his address,” she said.

Mvura appeared in the media in September as an outstanding jazz sensation from Zvishavane. He won Best Roots Artiste at the Masvingo Music Awards this year and was nominated four times in the Midlands Music Awards with some of the stolen music being part of the nominated songs.

Efforts to get a comment from him were fruitless since his mobile phone has been not reachable for the past days and he is not responding to Facebook and Whatsapp messages.

Fellow musicians have since castigated Mvura’s behaviour saying it was uncalled for.

“That’s evil, so far I have heard one song on YouTube and what is disheartening is that he put his name and took all the credit for Queen Mashie’s songs,” posted musician and producer Clive Mono Mukundu on Facebook. The Herald