UPCOMING contemporary musician, Sam Dondo, is reportedly failing to keep his Impala Subway Crooners band intact, amid reports of fights over payments, which are threatening to tear the band apart ahead of the launch of their second album scheduled for December 21, NewsDay has learnt.
BY WINSTONE ANTONIO
Sources privy to the developments told NewsDay that some of the band members were frustrated and had accused Dondo of neglecting their welfare.
“Things are not well at Dondo’s camp, as there are fights, with some band members saying they are not happy with the way Sam is running the band. Last weekend, band members were left stranded because they were not given transport allowances after their performance at a hotel in Harare,” the source said.
Dondo yesterday, however, denied that band members were ever stranded, but could neither confirm nor deny that they were owed allowances.
“My brother, I am at a rehearsal. Instead of writing that story, why don’t you just write a good story about my forthcoming album?” he quipped.
Sources said the problems have been going on for a while and when the band members tried to engage Dondo, he was evasive and opted to speak to a few band members, creating factions in the outfit.
Another insider said Dondo was destroying his own empire through his unprofessionalism that saw former manager, Luckmore Muzava, calling it quits.
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He has since joined Hope Masike’s band.
“Some band members are contemplating quitting the band because of allowance arrears dating back to July when they performed at Alfred Dondo Foundation Sports Day alongside Jah Prayzah,” he said.
“The issue of allowances has seen some of the band members absconding rehearsals, something that has affected the preparations for the launch of the forthcoming album.”
This is not the first time that the Impala Subway Crooners band has been rocked by squabbles.
In July this year, Dondo fired three key band members, Evidence Kufinya (Generator), guitarist Lengthens Musoni and producer-cum-keyboardist, Munyaradzi Viyali, accusing them of getting “big-headed” before mending relations.
