Tsonga music artist Joe Baloyi, aka Mashamba, is crying foul after songbird Makhadzi and amapiano king Kabza de Small, among others, remixed his popular song, Malume, without his permission.
Baloyi, who is wallowing in the abyss of poverty in his home village of Bungeni in Limpopo, has also complained that he was not paid royalties for the blockbuster song, which he co-produced with legendary musician Chicco Twala nearly 30 years ago.
Speaking to Sunday World, Baloyi said he co-produced the stellar cut with Twala in 1996 when he lived in Meadowlands, Soweto, at the time.
Baloyi said Twala, whom he had not seen since the release of the song, emerged out of nowhere and contacted him about two months ago.
He said Twala requested him to give him his identity document (ID), saying he wanted to register him with collecting societies so he could benefit from royalties of the tune, which has been remixed by amapiano artists.
Amapiano producer Elvirgo remixed the song and titled it Malume, featuring Tallex Q, Makhadzi, Kabza de Small and Mordecai.
In the other remixed version of the number, which also features Makhadzi, Elvirgo only credited himself, Twala and Tallex Q, as the producers and stole Baloyi’s thunder by not crediting him.
Another amapiano producer, Tebza De DJ, also remixed the number without Baloyi’s permission and titled it Anga Nilavi.
The Anga Nilavi remix has received over 3-million hits on YouTube and is likely to generate wags of lucre for the artists.
Baloyi said those who remixed the song without his permission have stolen his intellectually property.
“To date, I have not received a single cent from royalties generated from those songs. I’m now suffering with no money to feed my family when people are raking money through gigs and royalties with my artistic work.
“Unless they have obtained the permission from Chicco Twala, and if they did, I’m disappointed because he should have also spoken to me because I’m also the co-producer of the song,” Baloyi said.
Twala said the amapiano artists first remixed the song without his permission.
He said when he discovered that, he informed his record label, which ordered them to fill up the paperwork so they too could receive royalties.
“In fact, I discovered later that these artists had sent me an email a while ago requesting to remix the song but I did not see it at the time.
“Baloyi will get his royalties from the digital sales of the album next year if he fills up the right documentation. No one is trying to steal from him,” Twala said. He added that Baloyi did not receive royalties for the song because the album, which he released in 1996 and featured the song, was a damp squib.
“The album was a flop. I personally did not get a cent from the record company that was selling it. Besides, he should have gone to Southern African Music Rights Organisation and submitted his details so that he could be paid any royalties due to him, if any, were generated from the album.
“It was not my responsibility to register him,” he said.
