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| Sulu and Allan Chimbetu |
Allan Chimbetu and Suluman Chimbetu’s reunion seems to be yet another arrangement made by well-known music promoter Partson “Chipaz” Chimbodza. Allan’s move was a result of many reasons, among them waning fortunes which saw
Allan failing to pay his band members, the resurgence of Tryson Chimbetu as a force within Dendera music circles as well as the acrimonious relationship between father and son, Allan and Douglas Chimbetu.
Allan failing to pay his band members, the resurgence of Tryson Chimbetu as a force within Dendera music circles as well as the acrimonious relationship between father and son, Allan and Douglas Chimbetu.
But it appears that Chipaz is the chief architect of the drama that’s unfolding within the Chimbetu as the artistes run to him when the chips are down.
Asked for comment, Chipaz said: “Well, I don’t have a comment save to say that I am a professional promoter,” he said. Speculation was rife in the media early this year that Chipaz was helping facilitate the exodus of band members from Alick Macheso’s Orchestra Mberikwazo to Suluman Chimbetu’s Orchestra Dendera Kings.
Following the movement in which Macheso lost at least four members to Suluman, the relations between the two musicians have not been smooth. Douglas will now have to find his feet without his mentor and handler who taught him his way up the music ladder.
While Douglas has all the makings of a star, he is yet to gain the much-needed exposure and it is all the more startling to note that his father has left him for Suluman who has already made a mark on the mainstream music scene. Asked the exact motive behind the reunion, Allan said there was nothing amiss in him joining Suluman.
“What I have done is that I have given Douglas the leeway to explore his talent in the same manner which I did a couple of years ago with Sulu. “I left the group amicably and what I can guarantee you is that I will still be there to assist either Sulu, Douglas or Tryson for that matter because we are one.
I think what people should realise is that I am doing what any responsible father would do and that is to give a hand to all his children without being selective,” Allan said. He also denied allegations that he and Douglas had argued so much that Douglas moved out of their family home.
“As it is, we are living together and father and son and I am not sure where this is coming from,” Allan said. But Douglas confirmed that he was no longer living at the family home and that he was now the leader of the Orchestra Dendera Kings — Central committee, an outfit established by Allan.
Admittedly, Allan said it was time to consolidate dendera music as a movement and not as individual entities. “What we are trying to avoid is a situation whereby there is a dendera outfit here and another one there. We are family and it is our hope that in future we will not have more than two dendera groups singing the same songs at every other gig,” he said.
Asked if he had not fallen on hard times, Allan dismissed the reports saying his band the Orchestra Dendera Kings — Central Committee was doing well on its own. When reached for comment Sulu as he is fondly known in music circles, said he welcomed Allan with open hands.
“As it is, we are living together and father and son and I am not sure where this is coming from,” Allan said. But Douglas confirmed that he was no longer living at the family home and that he was now the leader of the Orchestra Dendera Kings — Central committee, an outfit established by Allan.
Admittedly, Allan said it was time to consolidate dendera music as a movement and not as individual entities. “What we are trying to avoid is a situation whereby there is a dendera outfit here and another one there. We are family and it is our hope that in future we will not have more than two dendera groups singing the same songs at every other gig,” he said.
Asked if he had not fallen on hard times, Allan dismissed the reports saying his band the Orchestra Dendera Kings — Central Committee was doing well on its own. When reached for comment Sulu as he is fondly known in music circles, said he welcomed Allan with open hands.
“It is a welcome development that he is coming back to where it all started. This is not a new phenomena considering that we have shared the stage together before and I believe that we will be complementing each other well on stage,” Sulu said.
Asked if there is not going to be confusion on stage as to who leads in vocals, Sulu promised a flawless act. “He (Allan) has his hits and I have my own songs and this time we are not going to be as predictable as before because we are both musicians anything can happen on stage,” he said.
But if there was anything that both musicians agreed on it was the oneness and purposefulness to work together. Partson Chimbodza, a renowned music promoter who was privy to the developments, hailed Sulu and Allan for finally coming together as a single force.
“From the promoter’s point of view I think we hope to see the dendera family coming together. There is no need to work as a divided front because that only adds up to confusion. So we are pleased to see Sulu working together again with Allan and hopefully in future we will have one super dendera group,” he said.
Sulu and Allan’s first gig since the reunion is scheduled for this Friday, Africa Day at Jazz 105. The show is set to rekindle yesteryear memories when the two used to be a formidable force. Herald
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