Harmonize ordered to pay Sh1m to artistes for terminating their contracts
Rajab Abdul Kahali, alias Harmonize, in Nairobi on July 22, 2018.
Tanzanian star singer Rajab Adbul Kahali, alias Harmonize, has been ordered to pay two musicians Ksh1 million for breaching their contract.
On October 10, 2022, through his label’s Konde Music Worldwide official social media pages, Harmonize announced he had terminated contracts with singers Killy (Ally Omar) and Cheed (Rashid Mganga). Harmonize did not offer any explanation for the termination.
This was exactly two years after he was accused of poaching them from Alikiba’s record label King’s Music, promising them better goodies.
Upon termination, Killy and Cheed rushed to Tanzania music and art regulatory council BASATA where they accused Harmonize of terminating their contracts without following due procedure.
They told BASATA that Harmonize did not communicate officially by writing to them and also accused him of declining to issue them with their Intellectual property rights and passwords to their social media accounts as well as other music streaming platforms that were being managed by Konde Music.
BASATA advised the parties to engage but after four unsuccessful meetings, the council stepped in and faulted Harmonize for dragging the matter.
On November 1, 2022 the council issued an ultimatum to Harmonize to end the standstill to which he compiled.
“We have officially and legally terminated the contracts in writing, which was our main tussle, and now we are free to work and negotiate with other partners which wasn’t the case [before],” said Saty Sembe, who manages the two artistes.
“We have also been given passwords to our social media accounts and other platforms which are our major source of income. What is now remaining is Tsh10 million (about Ksh520,000 each) that each artiste is to receive as a result of the label breaching the contract. It's agreed the amount can be paid later.”
This development comes just four years after Harmonize forced his way out of his former label WCB Wasafi. He had signed a 10-year contract deal but opted out on the fifth year. Harmonize bought out the remainder of his contract, paying the Diamond Platnumz-owned label a sum of Tsh500 million (equivalent to about Ksh22.5 million at the time).
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