By Vasco Chaya
HARARE – Members of late sungura music star Leonard Dembo’s family are reportedly in the process of suing South Africa-based musician Mitchell Jambo who allegedly made an unauthorised release of the Chitekete singer’s DVD.
Tendai Dembo, the son of the late celebrated musician who now leads his father’s former backing band the Barura Express, confirmed the development in an interview with the Daily News yesterday.
“The live DVD of my late father’s music was stolen by Jambo and he has now made an unauthorised release the DVD which is now selling like hot cakes in the streets in South Africa,” said Tendai.
“Jambo abused his closeness to my family. We understand that he has made a lot of money by selling the DVD.”
Tendai claimed his mother Eunice Dembo had already reported Jambo to the police.
“Mai Dembo has since reported the matter to the police as the first step in the suit we are instituting against Jambo. We are waiting for the long arm of the law to catch up with him, mhosva hairove,” he said.
The son of the Barura Express founder added that leaking of the DVD has undermined plans to release several DVDs of the late sungura star’s music.
“We have got many live DVDs of my father’s music and plans were already in place to officially launch the videos but Jambo has greatly undermined our plans,” he said.
Efforts to obtain a comment from Jambo, who gained national attention after producing the hit Vimbiso, yielded nothing. The Daily News, however, understands that Jambo, who leads the Marunga Brothers Band, used to be a close friend of the late Dembo.
The Marunga Brothers leader even featured on the late Barura Express leader’s hit song Tamba Yangu off the blockbuster album Chitekete.
This is not the first time the late Dembo’s family has involved law-enforcement officers in their fight against the infringement of the Chitekete’s singer’s intellectual property rights. A couple of years ago, the Dembos threatened to sue Doves Funeral Services over the use of graphics showing a dove in a nest accompanied by a pay offline which read, “Shiri yakangwara inovaka dendere rayo nguva iripo.”
The Dembos claimed that the funeral services company had used a concept generated by the late music legend’s family based on the hit song ‘Shiri Yakangwara’ without permission. Daily News
