Dino Mudondo whinges about song ‘theft’

By Nigel Pfunde

Forgotten pint sized Rasta Kwasa musician Dino Mudondo has turned to the Zimbabwe Music Rights Association (Zimura) for intervention in a case in which he is suing a South African music outfit, Afro Soul, for intellectual property theft.

In a letter which this publication is privy to, Dino accuses Afro Soul of ‘stealing’ his hit song Jatropha on their chorus for the song ‘‘Ndipe’’ which is making waves in South Africa.

In the letter of complaint, Dino writes: ‘‘I seek your intervention in the theft of intellectual property from a South African outfit Afro Soul. They stole my 2006 song “Jatropha“ and sang it word for word in a different language,” reads part of the letter.

Zimura has offered to assist him and seek legal recourse.

The song “Jatropha” was a chart topper upon its release in 2006 and it received generous airplay on local radio stations. Theft of songs has become a perennial problem in Africa and it is fuelled by the fact that most artistes lack knowledge on patent and copyright law.

Jah Prayzah was in a hot bowl of soup when he pilfered Ghanaian musician Samini’s song and bastardised the words replacing them with Shona words with the same phonetic appeal in the song “Sisi Makachena (Mwanasikana)”.

The result was a PR disaster.

Meanwhile, Dino is now based in Cape Town where he is desperately trying to establish a new market for his Rasta Kwasa music.

He relocated to the Mother City last year along with his family as he attempts to break new ground.

Dino told this publication that he has engaged several music professionals in South Africa and he was on the right track.

“I have been making synergies with several professionals here and so far the progress is commendable,” he said from his SA base. The Herald