EMDLETSHENI – Popular maskandi artist Mthandeni Manqele has parted ways with his long-time bass guitarist, Celumusa Zuma, following a disagreement over payment for their hit song, "Paris."
The split comes as Manqele prepares for the upcoming South African Traditional Music Awards (SATMAS), where "Paris" is nominated for Record of the Year.
The collaboration between Manqele and Zuma has spanned several years, culminating in the phenomenal success of "Paris," which boasts over 20 million YouTube views. However, their professional relationship has now soured over a dispute concerning Zuma's compensation for his contribution to the song.
According to Manqele, the conflict arose when he contacted Zuma to play bass guitar on his new track, "Gucci" featuring MaWhoo, a song that is currently topping the charts.
Manqele explained: “When I asked Celumusa to come to the recording session, he demanded 60% for Paris. I asked about others like Jay Jay Mbuthuma, who plays keyboards, and Mbuzeni Mkhize, who plays lead guitar. I paid him what was due when we recorded Paris, but he said as the song was successful, he should also benefit. He claimed that because the song reached 20 million views on YouTube, I must have R20 million and give him a raise.”
Manqele stated that he felt Zuma's demand was unreasonable, particularly given that he had already received his agreed-upon payment for "Paris."
He further explained his decision to replace Zuma with another guitarist, Shayinja Zwane, for the "Gucci" recording: “I told him I'd get back to him. I know he hates me now. I saw him playing his guitar for another musician, and realised he was spitting at me.”
Manqele clarified that this move was intended to emphasize that the focus should remain on the music itself, rather than individual performers.
However, Zuma has refuted Manqele's account of the events, dismissing the claims of a 60% pay rise demand as false.
In an interview with Daily Sun, Zuma stated: “I feel Mthandeni is ashamed that he's achieved more with the song alone and sees a need to give me a raise, but I never asked for it. He's the one talking about it. What happened was he called me when he was going to record, and I told him I had family responsibilities in KZN and asked him to postpone the recording. He agreed, and when I returned to Joburg, I phoned him to say I was free. He said he'd get back to me, and I’m still waiting.”
Zuma's version of events paints a different picture, suggesting a scheduling conflict rather than a financial dispute. He claims he informed Manqele of family commitments in KwaZulu-Natal, leading to a postponement of the recording session. He further maintains that he has yet to receive a response from Manqele regarding rescheduling.
