Byo singer wins 80K recording deal, duped by sponsors

AFTER triumphantly clinching first prize in the Ghetto Fabulaz 2014 music competition early this year, Bulawayo Afro-pop prodigy Admire Moyo thought his dream would come true only to discover that he had been taken for a ride and that the prize money was a hoax!

Three months on, Ghetto Fabulous - the sponsor told Moyo that he had won an $80 000 recording deal and will work with Afro-Platinum Music (APM) the record label contracted by the sponsors to nurture him only to be told that in order for him to work with the music company he has to sing house music instead of Afro-pop that he has been singing for the past five years.

APM is a record label owned by South-African based Zimbabwean music promoter Reason aka Rizzla Sibanda and specialises mainly in house music - a genre which is popular in neighbouring South Africa.

The Ghetto Fabulaz competition ran for six months on ZBC/TV as a reality show from October last year to April this year. Results were announced 3 months ago and winners of the dance and music categories were won by Bulawayo artistes Antivirus Dance Crew and singer Moyo respectively.

But Moyo revealed that the deal did not material because the record label and the sponsors wanted to force him to sing house music against what they had agreed before the commencement of the competition.

"I snubbed the deal because of its limitations to me as an artiste. The record label (APM) focuses mainly on house music but I am an Afro-pop ethno-soul artiste who plays guitar and sings," he said.

"The sponsors (Ghetto Fabulous) did not tell me at the onset of the competition that I will have to quit my music genre if I win so I was surprised when they told me that I should sing house music for me to be eligible for the deal," the dubbed singer said.

"I think this deal was a hoax because from the onset the sponsors were never transparent as they kept on changing goal posts."

Moyo added that although the deal seemed juicy he could not sacrifice his work as a soloist which he built five years ago with Afro-pop sensation Xolani Ndlovu aka Exmile.  

"I have to consider the sacrifice I will be making by throwing away my work as a soloist with Exmile which we built since the year 2009 and is starting to bear fruits to do house music," he said.

In a recent interview with Bulawayo24 Ghetto Fabulaz public relations officer Lavender Mushonga confirmed that Moyo had been awarded an $80 000 recording deal which covers the singer's recording and marketing expenses under APM.

However, she failed to clarify why the deal had not materialised three months on saying "the director will call you before the end of the day to clarify." Efforts to contact APM director Rizzla on his South African mobile were not fruitful.

The behaviour of the sponsors has raised eyebrows in the showbiz industry with emerging reports indicating that another Bulawayo group Anti-Virus crew which won in the dance category was also taken for a ride by the sponsors.