Yvonne Chaka Chaka hurt for not receiving royalties for ‘Umqombothi’
Music legend Yvonne Chaka Chaka says Chicco Twala didn’t pay her royalties for contributing to the song Umqombothi.
The song is off Chaka Chaka’s Thank You Mr DJ album which was released in 1987 and composed by musician and record producer Sello ‘Chicco’ Twala and producer and music writer Attie van Wyk.
Yvonne said she co-composed some elements in the song, hence she deserved to be paid.
“Umqombothi was written by Chicco, but I added some elements to it. I added that Nawu! Nawu! Madoda and Everybody parts. I have never received a cent from that project. They didn’t credit me, and back then, I was young and clueless about the music industry. This is the first time I’m speaking out about this,” she said.
“Umqombothi made me who I am today, but I am hurt because I was never credited as the co-composer of the song. I was supposed to be credited as the co-composer of the song as some elements that I contributed to the song,” she said.
However, Chicco Twala thinks otherwise about Yvonne’s claim.
“Yvonne earned millions out of live concerts, and the whole of Africa knows that, if not the whole world. Me and Attie, as the writers of the song, didn’t even make half a quarter of the money she made from that song. Performers make almost 90% of any hit that a songwriter makes,” Twala said to Zimoja.
