BRIAN Samaita, Tongai Moyo’s close friend, has come under fire from various sections of the music fraternity after claiming that he wrote some of the late musician’s songs. Report by Silence Charumbira
The businessman-cum musician recently posted the claims on Facebook to which the public responded by calling him all sorts of names. The post has since been removed.
Contacted for comment Samaita said: “Tongai and I were very close and we did a lot for each other.
“The fact that I have made the revelation now does not in any way mean that I want anything from anyone, but just to show I have been a musician for a long time.
“Ask any of the people you know who were close to him and they will tell you this.”
Samaita says he wrote Budget yemuhomwe, Ndiro yababa, Tariro, Chubvu and Ganda remvura.
Ronnie Mudhindo, a founding member and bassist of the Utakataka Express outfit, said anything is possible with music compositions. He said he once heard rumours about it though it was never confirmed.
“When I worked with Dhewa I composed the instrumentation for Samanyemba and Zimbabwe as songs we played at the beginning of our gigs. Dhewa loved them and he then wrote the lyrics,” said Mudhindo.
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“There are also two other songs that were written by the late vocalist and dancer Mavara Mavhurambudzi like Hanzvadzi yangu and Gomo rinorema. What happened after I left Dhewa, I cannot be sure of, but it could be possible.”
Former Utakataka band members Gift Katulika aka Shiga Shiga and bassist Spencer Khumulani could neither confirm nor deny Samaita’s claims, but said the two were inseparable.
“The relationship between the two was more than what anyone could imagine,” said Khumulani.
“It was never confirmed although I am not saying it is false. What could have happened is people give each other ideas and compose a line or two, but you never know.”
Shiga Shiga said the two were more like brothers.
“For me and Spencer the salaries that we got from the band were not adequate and were actually paid by Samaita,” said Shiga Shiga.
“Every time we went to Mutare he would take care of the whole band from accommodation and upkeep. That was the kind of relationship that the two men enjoyed, so anything is possible.”
Peter, Dhewa’s son, who has taken over from his father said he knows nothing about it.
“I know nothing about that,” said Peter.
“All I remember is my father telling me that he did everything for himself. He fought his own wars.”
The world over, there is nothing peculiar about a singer getting a song from another, but locally musicians are very particular that it is never mentioned.
Stanley Ruzive, artiste and repertoire manager for Gramma Records, the stable that recorded Dhewa, confirmed Samaita composed for the late “Igwe”.
“I may not know offhand but it is indeed true that Samaita composed for Dhewa. Although he was a businessman they were good friends and Samaita would pen a song and Dhewa would then polish it before he went into the studio,” said Ruzive.
“Their friendship explains why the sleeve of Samaita’s album Nemiwo Munazvo has the same graphics and colours as that of Toita Basa, Dhewa’s last album since it is a tribute to the late artiste.”
