War in Zimbabwe Music Industry: Dino Mudondo joins other musicians, breathes fire as Cover Band STEALS ALL his hit songs!

HARARE – Dino Mudondo has become the latest musician to enter Zimbabwe’s bitter dispute over cover bands after accusing The Travellers Band of disrespecting him by performing some of his best-known songs at a wedding where both acts had been booked to entertain guests.

The incident has added fresh pressure to a copyright debate that has moved from stages and social media into Parliament, with musicians demanding a clearer licensing system and an explanation of how royalties collected on their behalf are being handled.

Mudondo said he was particularly disappointed because The Travellers Band had been given an opportunity to warm up the venue before his arrival, only for him to discover that the group had already performed songs he normally features in his wedding repertoire.

The band performed hits including “Chirangano”, “Makoikoi” and “Jatropha”, he said, leaving him with little choice but to repeat some of the same songs when it was his turn to perform.

“There are some copyright bands that lack respect for original composers of popular songs,” Dino told Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub.

“I had a nasty experience last Sunday when I was invited to perform at a night wedding in Harare along with The Travellers Band and Jah Prayzah. When I arrived, I learnt that the opening group had performed my popular songs such as ‘Chirangano’, ‘Makoikoi’ and ‘Jatropha’, which I normally perform during weddings. I was advised by the master of ceremonies that the group had performed all my songs.”

Mudondo said the situation became worse when he arrived and found the band members already at the venue. He said they knew he was on the line-up but did not acknowledge what had happened.

“The boys were there when I arrived and I was really shocked to note that they did not acknowledge their mistake or even greet me. To make matters worse, the lads were very much aware that I was on the line-up, but they pretended as if everything was normal. I know the local copyright laws might shield them but something must be done because we are now losing our jobs. Some cover bands are now charging paltry fees while playing our songs and some service providers end up resorting to them.”

Mudondo said producing music was expensive, with artists spending heavily on recording, marketing and accompanying visuals before a song reached an audience.

“The cost of producing a single is too high, from recording and marketing to producing accompanying visuals. I am one person who backs the concerns raised by the likes of Sir Alick Macheso and Fungisai Zvakavapano, who recently spoke about this issue. In some cases, when a band like In Total Band is invited by promoters, it is like they have hired 20 original artists. I don’t hate them but that’s unfair, to be honest. Ini changu chatova chikumbiro, musaridze dzangu henyu.”

The argument has grown beyond one wedding performance. Thomas “Mukanya” Mapfumo was among the first major musicians to speak publicly about the use of original artists’ work, followed by Macheso, Zvakavapano and Eunice Dembo, the widow of the late sungura star Leonard Dembo.

Mapfumo’s criticism was directed at his nephew Kurai Makore, while musicians Mono Mukundu and Mark Ngwazi have defended the right of cover performers to work. Mukundu, who mentors In Total Band, has argued that cover bands have existed around the world for years and should not be treated as enemies of original artists.

The dispute became especially visible after In Total Band built a large audience around its Legends Night concerts, which repackage well-known songs from earlier generations for modern audiences. The performances have attracted audiences and corporate interest, but they have also raised complaints from artists whose music forms the centre of the shows.

Zvakavapano has objected to the reproduction of her music and artistic identity without her consent, while other musicians have questioned whether commercial shows built around their work are returning enough value to the composers and rights-holders.

The controversy has also exposed the long-running conflict over the role of the Zimbabwe Music Rights Association, or ZIMURA. Under Zimbabwean copyright regulations, venues hosting cover bands are expected to ensure that royalties are paid to composers through the relevant music-rights structures.

ZIMURA board chairperson Alexio Gwenzi has blamed the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for freezing the copyright fees charged to cover bands. He said bands had stopped paying fees and that the organisation could not distribute money it was no longer receiving.

“I know people always blame ZIMURA over the cover bands issue but what is happening is that they have not been paying their fees since April last year,” Gwenzi said.

“In as far as I know, people will end up blaming ZIMURA but where can we get the money if the cover bands are not remitting anything at the moment? We had proposed a US$150 fee for all cover bands last year but the money was said to be way beyond their reach. Since last year, cover bands have been operating illegally in terms of intellectual property law. I wish fans understood this issue better and were more enlightened.”

The US$150 tariff was introduced for live bands performing cover music and immediately triggered resistance from sections of the industry. The Government later directed ZIMURA to suspend the disputed tariff and proposed a 30 percent sponsorship levy while the system was reviewed and consultations continued.

Mukundu has rejected ZIMURA’s explanation, saying the organisation was still collecting money while presenting the tariff dispute as the reason composers were not being paid.

“ZIMURA has been misleading people by claiming that cover bands’ fees have been frozen, yet they are still collecting the money. Composers should not buy into that narrative because it’s not true at all. ZIMURA has been collecting a lot of money and paying themselves a lot of money at the expense of composers.”

He said In Total Band had become the main target after securing a sponsor and dismissed the suggestion that the band was responsible for the wider problems in the industry.

“The whole issue has been blown out of proportion because In Total Band got a sponsor. Cover bands have always been there worldwide, imitating top groups, and this should not be an issue. The only problem that we have is that the ZIMURA board and its management are misleading people by claiming not to understand how intellectual property law works.”

Mukundu has also criticised the public use of musicians’ widows in the campaign against cover bands.

“I feel pity for some of the widows of legendary musicians like Mai Dembo, who should be getting her royalties from ZIMURA without difficulties. Mai Dembo and other widows of musicians should not be paraded in public like what is happening right now, complaining about royalties. The same people who are parading them are the ones exploiting them.”

He went further, saying the disputed tariff appeared to have been aimed at In Total Band.

“I think the US$150 tariff, which was introduced last year for cover bands and later scrapped, was supposed to be called the In Total Band Tariff. A lot of people are jealous of them and it’s a shame that we have top musicians dissing this outfit. At the moment, the boys are stressed, with factions approaching sponsors to terminate their collaboration with them.”

The dispute reached Parliament this week when musicians gave oral evidence before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Media, Information and Broadcasting Services. Beneficiaries told committee members they were receiving as little as US$10 to US$30 a year in royalties, while artists called for audits, regular accounts and a single licensing system.

Gospel musician Tembalami called for an audit of both ZIMURA and the Zimbabwe Council of Copyrights, known as ZICCO, after concerns emerged that the two bodies were collecting royalties for the same music rights. “ZIMURA needs to adapt to changes in the industry. We now have two CMOs collecting royalties on our behalf. There is a lack of transparency,” he said.

Musician Felix Chitopo questioned the organisation’s administration and alleged that employees were earning more than US$4,000 a month while artists were receiving very small royalty payments. He also said ZIMURA had operated without a board for more than a year.

“Does a minister have a right to sit on the ZIMURA board? The ZIMURA licence must be cancelled,” Chitopo said.

Former board member Derek Mpofu also told the committee that he had been unfairly dismissed, while other beneficiaries demanded immediate changes to the way money is collected, recorded and distributed.

The cover-band fight is therefore no longer only about whether a band may sing another artist’s songs. It is now a contest over who controls Zimbabwe’s musical heritage, who receives payment when that heritage is used commercially and whether artists can trust the institutions appointed to protect their work.

Mudondo said he was aware that consultations were being conducted by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, but warned that original composers continued to lose business to cover bands.

“I know there are consultations being done by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, but the original composers are losing jobs.”

The hearings have given musicians a public platform to demand answers, while the growing popularity of tribute shows has ensured that the arguments will continue on stages across the country. For now, the competing camps remain divided: original artists want their work respected and rewarded, while cover bands insist that performing popular music is a legitimate livelihood.

What is clear is that Zimbabwe’s live-music industry cannot continue relying on unclear tariffs, disputed collections and private confrontations. The royalty question has become too large to be settled at weddings, on social media or through rival statements. It is now before the country’s lawmakers, with musicians waiting to see whether the next system will protect the songs that built Zimbabwean music and the performers who keep those songs alive.