Showbiz millions gone with the wind

By Stevens Muendo

One of the biggest club hits is none other than Mac Muga — a hard —hitting ‘diss’ track by soft-spoken Bongo sensation Ali Kiba. In fact, the singer ‘disses’ Lucas Mkenda aka Mr Nice, the fallen star with tight lyrics, ease and good flow as follows:

Mchizi wa bongo Mac Muga

Yuko single sana Mac Muga

Ukimwona mtu akijinamia kwa sababu ya maisha yamchanganya

Chali wangu alizamia

Kuenda kusini mwa Afrika

Huku pia akimchanua kwa sababu ya maisha aliyofuma

Mr Jaguar

Alikuwa maarufu sana,

Akajiona yeye ndo winner

Kwa kujichanganya na wasichana

Club zote za huko kujulikana.

Akajichezea, gari ya kutembelea

Shida walimwelezea wasichana na shida zao akawatatulia

Wewe upewe nini Mac Muga

Mungu akupe nini Mac Muga?

Nyumba ulijijengea, foro kuta nyumba

Wewe ndio wewe, wengine fala!

…. Mbona sasa umeshatimua!

South Africa wamekutimua

Na sasa home usharejea

Wewe Mac Muga

Mungu akupe nini Mac Muga?

Mr Nice

True to the poetically crafted song, Mr Nice, who was arguably Tanzania’s most successful music export is back home in the studio trying to revive lost fame and fortune.

Kiba’s hit has stirred hot debate with questions bieng raised by hundreds of Mr Nice fans from all over the region about his unprecedented departure from limelight when his star shone brightest.

In November 2003, Mr Nice held the one of the best Street Bash shows on Baricho Road with hundreds of fans thronging the venue although the skies opened and it rained cats and dogs.

But as rains wreaked havoc, hundreds thronged the venue and danced nonstop to Fagilia, Rafiki Mama, Kidalipo, Kigast, Kikulacho and Friday Nite. And the show went on successfully in the rain with fans cheering wildly.

But money, women, stardom and pride seem to have gotten the best of the bongo flava star. His showbiz millions became his undoing. Being the biggest East African star at the time, Mr Nice became reckless and made showbiz headlines across the region. Endless fights with fellow artistes and fans, careless driving, accidents plus allegations of sexual assault on minors became the order of the day. And as negative publicity threatened to ruin his career, Mr Nice, the million dollar musician took a trip to South Africa before settling in the UK — where he is said to have burned his millions.

After his grand fall, two years after another Bongo generation took the music scene, Mr Nice is back and has now released a comeback album Redemption, which will soon be in stores.

"I have learned the hard way. But I have now matured and am ready to take over from where I stopped," Mr Nice says.

"I could have wavered along the way, but that does not mean I am weathered. I am still standing and determined to rise to the top again," he adds, opting to steer off Kiba’s attack in the Mac Muga song.

Eve

Fans and musicians alike still remember when Mr Nice ruled the charts like a colossus. "I remember those days very well," says Jaguar.

"I can recall a show Mr Nice, Wahu and I were having in Mombasa back in 2004. He was too proud and could not even chat with us because he was more famous with lots of cash and fame. It’s a pity that he has nothing to show of it now."

But Mr Nice is just but a classic example of many East African musicians who have turned into paupers after mismanaging their hard earned cash. After making millions they forget to go back to the studio to record another album.

Now, word has it that Uganda’s big showbiz kingpin Bebe Cool is not a liquid as he has led many to believe. Our sources reveal that he recently called his archrival and nemesis Jose Chameleone and desperately begged him to bail him from some financial woes. A Uganda paper alleged that Bebe Cool who has in the past won many mega corporate financial endorsements for his music success, besides making millions in album sales and concerts, is now financially unstable.

The scenario could be worse here at home and the current windfall of artistes now sealing multimillion deals — such as Jua Cali signing with Orange Network — could just end in their ruin if financial management skills are over ridden by worldly pleasures.

"The truth is that most of those artistes who pioneered the showbiz industry made money but did not invest at all.

"We would go for gigs and get paid over Sh100,000 back then and my colleagues would blow it away on chicks, alcohol and stylish clad in a week," explains Jaguar who is an accomplished star now making good returns from his Jaguar taxis and automobile workshop, both generated from his music savings.

Chameleone

"You will be shocked that most artistes do not even own bank accounts. It is a pity that the old crop of stars have nothing in terms of investment to inspire up and coming artistes," he laments.

The artiste-cum-businessman can’t help to remember how, without a coin for bus fare, he would trek from Buru Buru Estate to Ogopa DJs studios when he started off in 2003. And even after releasing his singles, he could move from one media house to the other, begging for his music to be played but all in vain.

"It is not that I was the musician who was making more cash. I think I was just more focused on what I wanted to achieve and that got me saving the little cash I was making from my shows.

"In 2004, I had Sh100,000 in my account and a friend advised me to start the taxi business. In fact, I paid for the first car in many instalments. As I look back and compare myself with some of the guys we started with, I thank God for giving me the brains to put my money to right use," he adds.

Besides the taxi business, Jaguar is now spinning a state-of-the art Toyota TRD Celica not to mention his Subaru STI, both earned from his showbiz cash.

And just like Jaguar, leading act Nameless recently bought a brand new Mercedes Benz, months after songstress Amani and Radio presenter Eve acquired new whips.

"For me, purchasing a new car is not for showing off. It is just a statement that I can live off my music. I account well for my cash and that is why I have been able to save enough to buy a car," says Amani, adding that she has been putting her money in right investments.

"There is cash in showbiz industry and I believe that if our stars have a business mind, we wouldn’t be envying Ugandan artistes most of whom have put money in real estates and other businesses," says Big Ted, now runs his own events company.

"We have the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) taxing us and making a good percentage from the music industry. We have come of age and I believe it is time the government also gave artistes support even as we venture in investing," adds Choku who now runs her Star Dimension Technology Ltd.

According to Big Ted, the showbiz industry is a big investment that both the government and musicians should be benefiting from.

Most Ugandan musicians are now people of good repute who are as highly regarded as prominent musicians. They own their own houses in Kampala’s leafy suburbs and run their own big companies out of their showbiz money. Some of them have even moved to the neighbouring Rwanda where they are investing millions in Real Estates. As Kenyans argue that the music industry is more vibrant in Uganda, the truth remains that some of our stars who were hosting broke stars (then) such as Jose Chameleone had equal opportunities to be at their level only they took showbiz seriously.

"Investment does not have to start with a multi-billion investment. One can even open a Simu ya Jamii kiosk to start with," advises Jaguar noting that the image of the industry will only change if artistes prove their financial stability.

Gone are the days when artistes used to sit and wait for someone to invite them for concerts. The industry is now big as artistes move from living from hand-to-mouth.

Homeboyz, who barely 10 years ago played in estate gigs and birthday parties are now among leading investors in the country having opened a radio station and most recently purchased a water company.