Rise Kagona: Leader of the Pack Biggie Tembo (Part 6)

The following is Part 6 of an interview with Bhundu Boys guitarist Rise Kagona. It has been over twenty-five years since the band took the UK music world by storm, with their Harare sound. Kagona reflects on his musical journey as he speaks to A.A.V. AMASI. 

What did Gordon do to Biggie?

He realized that we were all stubborn; He looked at me and thought, “Rise does not drink or smoke, I am not going to get anything out of him”. Kenny was the same he didn’t drink or smoke. He took Biggie for a drink and we knew that he was going to change his mind. I think he told him” Look the last album you did. Rise took most of the money. You could do this on your own. You are a very talented solo artist. You can do it without these other guys”. They agreed a management deal because he had a lot of songs written and he didn’t want to do an album with us. That is what they were talking about behind our back. When the money came from Warner, the next day was the signing day.

They had played their cards. The next day Gordon wakes up in the morning and says “Gentleman you know the money is coming today, we have to agree on one thing or otherwise?’ I said “What do you mean, its your twenty percent and our eighty percent, you give it to me and we share”. Gordon said, “It’s not going to be like that, it’s not as easy as you think. This is going to be something else” We then sat down in that house that we were living in. He was hoping that when the money comes, we go to the bank, sign with the landlord and buy the house. He had thought it all out. He went “We have been talking about buying this house, we will have to vote”. I said, “I don’t want a vote. Why should I be voting, I should be talking to my guys, the five of us on what we should do with our eighty percent. Whether we take it home, buy instruments, buy cars it’s up to us” and then he said “I am sorry to tell you Rise on this deal I am a sixth member”. We were five and the white man makes himself six. I said to him “From manager to sixth member?”

What did he say when you asked him?

He said “ The meeting is short, we will have to vote, Shakie what do you think?

Shakie was like “We will have to buy the House” and then he turned to David “We will buy the house” and Kenny “I want my money” and he looked at Biggie “ I will go with you” and finally at me and I said, “I want my money” So it became two against four.

Would you say that moment was the beginning of the end for the group?

From that day things didn’t work out. Since that day the Band was divided. That was the crack. We never bothered to talk about it. Kenny and me became close. We started talking about the situation together. Davie and Shakie were close already because they drank and used to go out together. Biggie and Gordon became one. We were divided like that. The only good thing I did was holding the Band together. If I had said I am going, Kenny would have left the Band. The other three wouldn’t have played together. We needed each other. I avoided a split and I got over it. I worried about the other guys. I had bought my parents a house so if I went back home I had a roof over my head. Kenny’s dad came from the Farms, Shakie grew up on the Farms. Biggie grew up in Chinhoyi; his parents didn’t own a house in Chinhoyi. Davie’s mother was unmarried struggling with her other children. I just thought the only other person better off was Kenny who lived in Highfields with his mum. I spoke to him about it, “its either we split the Band or keep on”. We decided not to split the Band. We kept on but the division was affecting the Band, we didn’t trust each other anymore. I stopped going to meetings. I didn’t want to be in meetings where my friends sell me out. We went on for a year like that. On stage we would forget everything happening, very cheerful guys. Doing the job as we normally do. I applaud every member of the Band for that. We were like one on stage except Kenny who used to behave funny if he had an argument. He would refuse to sing backing, if the person he has had an argument with is singing. It’s funny on stage we used to smile at each other, whilst thinking, “I don’t like you bastard”. Smiling and jumping up and down. The day is gone, we get paid and we go home. This is how we managed to move on.

In the Press it was reported that the house was actually liquidated, can you tell us a little bit more about that?

We came from a tour and were told, “The house has been liquidated”. It’s hard to believe these things, I was the person drawing money. The two signatures were the manager and bandleader. We would pay for whatever needed to be paid. When we went to sign for the house, I signed. I ask myself today probably those papers were fake.

Why would you think that they were fake?

Were the papers genuine or fake? I don’t know. Maybe the ones I signed were fake and Gordon signed the genuine ones. I must have signed the wrong papers.

Whose name was on the deed?

It would be Gordon because he is a resident of this country. They wouldn’t put it into our names.

Was that explained to yourselves?

No, He knew what he was doing and I predicted what was going to happen. I told the other guys “Gentleman we are falling for a very stupid trick, lets take our money and go home (Zimbabwe)”. They didn’t believe me. So this guy comes in says that the house has been liquidated. I asked him “What do you mean by liquidated” and he says, “Its been auctioned”. We had left Gordon’s brother in law in that house, who was a student. I had refused to have him there. I said lets make it into a bed and breakfast since we are not here most of the time so that the house can pay for itself. The good thing is that we didn’t pay cash we paid through a mortgage. It would have been worse if we had paid cash. I asked for a notice to show that the House was been sold. He said, “I have been dealing with it whilst you guys have been on tour” and then I said “I used to call you to tell you I have sent your money, why didn’t you tell me then and you are telling us now. Now do you believe me when I told you that you were tricking us” I was so angry if it was in Zimbabwe, I would have found an axe to hit his head, but here you can’t. I realized that he made his moves a longtime ago. We were fools and the others thought living the western life was the way to go. There is a saying “Fix where you are coming from, because where you are going is darkness” We are now in darkness. We can’t see where we are going now.

How did this affect the Band?

This further built frustrations in the Band. I stopped talking. I told Gordon “If you have any meetings, gather everybody but me don’t involve me. I just want to be on stage, do my thing, practice do my guitar, get paid and sent money home” and Kenny said the same thing and we just kept quiet. The Manager took out five-pound notes and he gave us. Each one had their own room with wardrobes and beds. Everything was taken to the auction and he said a new landlord was coming in.

What were the five pounds for?

He said they were for the luggage that he had put through auction. He said he didn’t have anywhere to put them. Five pounds each and you know we used to sleep on double beds, we had stereos. To hear that they are now just worth five pounds. We had this big T.V in the living room. That the previous owner gave me, it was all taken and that was that, we got out of the house. The surprising thing is six years later. We found out that the house had been sold

Do your recall how much it was sold for?

I have no idea; I didn’t want to go through it. What I know is that he lied that the house had been liquidated. He put a tenant in and sold it six year later

How was Biggie handling the situation during that period?

Biggie saw that the things he had been promised are not happening. He started to have clashes with Gordon, I told the White man “The person you have made company with is going to beat you up one day “I said “ We come from Africa when the going gets tougher we use this (Fist), I don’t know why we use it but that is how we grew up” We grew up in a township where

you had to be tough. If you don’t defend yourself you will be bullied all your life. He was like “I know how to deal with him”. Biggie started his thing; they were times when you would hear him in his room singing. You would think he was practicing but some of it was mixed with talking to Spirits.

A.A.V. Amasi is a Barchester Scholar at the National Film And Television School. His contact details are [email protected] or http://www.chauya-chauya.co.uk