Gospel star hits sour note
Ngwako Malatji
Johannesburg - Gospel star S'fiso Ncwane has severed ties with gospel powerhouse Bula Music after the company failed to give in to his alleged demands for an increase in royalty rates, a luxury BMW and a posh house in an upmarket Jozi suburb.
However, Ncwane has signed a record deal with EMI Records and will release his album, Baba Ngiya Bonga, this week.
Ncwane's demands were revealed by his former producer and Bula Music director Tshepo Nzimande.
He was responding to the artist's claims that he had left the company because he was ill-treated and short-changed with royalties and show payments.
"I gave him his clearance because I could not afford him. When we negotiated for the renewal of his contract, he demanded a BMW and a house.
Albums 'not selling well'
"How was I going to do that? His albums were not selling well.
"It took him two years to sell 25 000 copies.
"Do you think there is a businessman who could do that for an artist who does not sell?
"It's a pity we lost him. He is a good songwriter, but I couldn't afford his demands," said Nzimande.
Ncwane tried to leave Bula last year after accusing Nzimande of short-changing him with royalties.
He recorded an album with an independent stable, but it could not be released because Bula would not give him clearance.
It said he was still contracted to the label and he should release two more albums before he left.
Ncwane released two albums - S'fiso and the Best of S'fiso - last year and left for EMI in June this year.
Relationship 'not healthy'
Ncwane's new manager and producer Sello Mbuyane said: "He did not want to work with Tshepo any more. Their relationship was no longer healthy."
Ncwane dismissed Nzimande's allegations as nonsense. He said he had left Bula because he was not "progressing in life".
"I was always fighting with Nzimande when it came to payment of shows and royalties.
"Apart from that, I featured on Lundi and Kholekha's albums, but they did not pay me. What kind of treatment is that?
"I know I will have a future at EMI because, for the first time in my music career, I signed a contract that I understood and the royalty rates are much higher there when compared to what I got from Bula," he said.
News source: www.news24.co.za
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