POPULAR gospel diva Joyce Simeti is at loggerheads with Diamond Studios following the stable’s failure to release her latest album.
Report by Jairos Saunyama
According to Simeti, her producer Lyton Ngolomi is holding on to the album because the studio failed to pay him an undisclosed amount of money for his services. Ngolomi was hired as digital producer for the album.
The album (code number CD D5 51) was completed last year and could have hit the streets a few months ago.
Simeti, whose contract with Diamond Studios expires in March this year, has approached her lawyers to assist her terminate her relationship with the stable.
In an interview with NewsDay, an emotional Simeti said Diamond Studios had been playing hide-and-seek with her and she had decided to take further action.
“It all started last year when the studio failed to release my latest eight-track album titled Anozvigonesesa. I discovered that Ngolomi was holding it as surety because the company owes him,” said Simeti.
“I met Ngolomi and he told me that the studio owed him money and that is why he was holding on to my album. He said he would release it when he gets his money.
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“I tried to talk to the studio boss who said he was busy working on Jah Prayzah’s next album and couldn’t attend to me.” Diamond Studios boss Steady Munyanyi said the issue would be resolved soon.
“I know about the issue and we are resolving it. The problem we had is that Ngolomi was busy with his wedding and we couldn’t disturb him,” he said.
Ngolomi refused to comment on the issue.
Born in Mutoko, Simeti started taking music seriously around 1999 when she recorded her first album Tose Takadanwa with Ngaavongwe Records. In 2002, she left her hairdressing career to take music as a full-time profession.
She has released six albums so far with the latest being Makandinzwa which is currently receiving massive airplay on local radio stations. She is well known for the hit songs Kudza Baba Namai, Ndichamupa Mbiri and Makandinzwa, among others.
