Producer, musician exchange blows

All is not well at Lyt-On Studios owned by controversial music producer Lyton Ngolomi, who is married to and manages gospel diva Bethen Pasinawako-Ngolomi.

Last week, the Ngolomi brothers, Lyton and Brian ganged-up against an upcoming gospel musician Nicholas Chirunga and the three exchanged blows during a rehearsal session in the capital over ownership of songs.

Lyton and Brian failed to contain their anger after Chirunga accused them of stealing two of his songs Chisikwa and Nditenderei which have been included on the Ngolomis' Extreme Afrique album.

The Ngolomi brothers told the Daily News that Chirunga had crossed the boundary.

"All along I treated him like my brother but he just woke up one of the days and accused us of stealing his song.

"He even went a step further assaulting my brother Brian in my presence over the alleged song theft and that did not go down well with me hence I intervened," said Lyton.

Chirunga said the songs were his.

"Extreme Afrique is an album produced by Lyton but the songs on it were composed by various artistes.

"Shockingly, he is now claiming that the songs were composed by him," said Chirunga.

Some of the musicians who contributed on the album include Ngolomi's wife Bethen, award-winning gospel artiste Blessing Shumba, Diva Size, Francis Hawu (Malawi), Gugu Moyo, Munyaradzi Chitando, Tonde Maza, Esnarth (Nigeria), Patience Masiyambiri and Alpha Dhapi, among others.

Ngolomi's studio boasts of recording big names in the gospel music circles such as Blessing Shumba, Mathias Mhere, Sebastian Magacha, Olinda Marowa, Kudzi Nyakudya, Rumbi Zvirikuzhe, Joyce Simeti, Fortunate Kwaramba, Agatha Murudzwa, and Bethen among others.

Their first project at Lyt-On studios was Shumba's award-winning album NdiMwari before Murudzwa's Press On among others.

Recently, Shumba hired the services of other music producers for his latest album after reports that Ngolomi had reduplicated his sound and voice in Mhere's projects.

The Daily News is reliably informed that Mhere is also mooting a plan to leave the stable because it is alleged that Ngolomi is recording another artiste who is sounding more like the Favour singer.

Mhere is said to have already established his own studio.