Tryson Chimbetu says his cousin Sulumani’s attempt to bar him from playing Simon’s songs will not be a stumbling block on his career development path.
Sulumani recently sought an order from Zimbabwe Music Rights Association (Zimura) to stop other musicians from playing songs that were composed by his late father.
The development came after Sulumani and Tryson shared the stage at the 21st Movement Gala in Chipinge recently. Tryson played most of Simon’s popular songs that Sulumani also intended to play.
However, Tryson yesterday revealed he will not be perturbed by such an order because he has confidence in his personal creativity.
He said he had played Simon’s songs because most of them resonate with themes of national galas.
“Besides being Naison’s son or having had a talented uncle like Simon, I am an artist,” said Tryson.
“Although I was influenced by my father’s career to take up music, I believe the connection that matters most between my career and Naison’s is that inspiration. I have grown to be my own man and I have composed songs that are popular.
“For how long can we depend on other people’s material? Our fathers were artists and they did their own things. I believe as their sons, we should take over from where they left and exhibit that we could have done the same if we had come first.”
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Tryson said he had been summoned by Zimura and told about Sulumani’s complaint, but he was still to return to the association for further discussions.
Zimura director Polisile Ncube yesterday said they were trying to resolve the conflict by specifying songs that belonged to Simon and those that were composed by Naison since Simon and Naison worked closely as Marxist Brothers and did not publicly reveal who had composed which songs.
Ncube said the list of Simon’s songs would guide Tryson and other musicians on the “prohibited” songs if Sulumani insists on the order.
But Tryson believes the issue of songs should not split the family since they were bound by their relationship more than the career.
Sulumani yesterday refused to comment on the issue saying he would call this writer later in the day to give his side of the story.He had a meeting with Ncube at Zimura offices yesterday morning.
