War in the City of Kings: Musicians vs. Club Owners
Location: Bulawayo | Conflict: Treatment of Local Artists | Status: Active Boycott
Nearly two decades after the legendary Lovemore Majaivana quit music in frustration, history is threatening to repeat itself in Bulawayo. A bitter "civil war" has erupted between the city's rising stars and establishment owners, with accusations of arrogance, exploitation, and disrespect flying from both sides.
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| Musicians Declare War on Club Owners |
The Spark: Fab G & Noluntu J
Tensions boiled over last Friday during a show headlined by South African songbird Mawhoo.
Local stars Fab G and Noluntu J lifted the lid on the treatment of local acts. Noluntu J alleged they were treated like "trash" and forced to beg for basic services that were explicitly agreed upon in their contracts before the performance at Nexus.
International sensation DJ Nitefreak weighed in, calling for action: "It is time to boycott these clubs. And let those being announced all night enjoy by themselves."
The Owners Strike Back
"We Are Not A Charity"
Nexus boss Qhubani Moyo did not mince his words, firing back at the artists.
"We cannot allow arrogant artistes to dictate how we do things... We are in business and not charity. Some of these artistes making noise cannot even fill their own sitting room for a show."
Moyo emphasized that the venue would not be held to ransom and offered no apologies.
The Ghost of Majaivana
The current conflict mirrors the frustrations that drove Bulawayo's greatest son into exile.
Born Lovemore Tshuma in Gwelo (1954), he moved to Bulawayo at age four. By 15, he was drumming for the Hi-Chords. His stage name, "Majaivana," (meaning "good dancer") was earned through his slick moves.
At 16, he and a friend built their first drum set from plastics and cardboard barrels, playing in local beer gardens for meager fees. His big break came with the Hi-Chords under businessman Mr. Memo, who groomed them into a professional outfit.
Starting with covers of Tom Jones and The Beatles, Majaivana formed his own band, Jobs Combination, in Harare. They had early success with the debut album Isitimela (1979).
The turning point was joining The Zulus, a Victoria Falls band featuring his brothers. In 1984, they released Salanini Zinini, an album of traditional folk songs learned from his mother, marking his shift away from Western influences to a uniquely Ndebele sound.
Despite his popularity, Majaivana felt unappreciated by both fans and promoters. "I spent 15 years of my life lining other people’s pockets," he famously said before leaving Zimbabwe in 2000 and retiring from music entirely.
Jeys Marabini recalls Majaivana's final show in 2001: "He was just so defeated... he felt people had taken him for granted for too long."
An Industry in Crisis
Anonymous artists claim that while clubs make significant profits, performers are often paid in "food or just a six-pack of alcohol." There is a call for artists to unionize to stop the abuse.
In a twist of irony, while the club show struggled, DJ Nitefreak's independent event, HiNDE, was perhaps the best-attended gig in Bulawayo this year. This proves that artists can draw crowds—if they control the narrative.
"There is a lack of trust and even respect... Promoters should not feel like they are doing artistes a favour because this is always a two-way relationship."
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