YESTERYEAR legendary music group Zig-Zag Band is embroiled in a fierce identity battle with its former drummer Josiah Ndlovu, alias Jones Mabhande.
BY WINSTONE ANTONIO OWN CORRESPONDENT
Mabhande teamed up with former Zig-Zag band manager Madison Phiri to form a new band they are marketing as Zig-Zag York during their live shows at a number of joints in and outside the mining town of Kwekwe.
NewsDay is reliably informed that last month Ndlovu was reported at Kwekwe Central Police Station for theft of identity using the brand Zig Zag and surviving member of the original band, Steven Lunga, who is also the band leader, confirmed these developments.
“We reported Mabhande at Kwekwe Central Police Station and he was called to answer for his behaviour of trying to steal our band’s name. He was conducting shows under that name thus confusing many of our fans,” Lunga said.
Lunga added that Mabhande had been ordered to stop using the name Zig-Zag York and also to never play any songs recorded by the original Zig-Zag Band.
He said that some of the original Zig Zag songs that Mabhande had been playing during his personal shows included Mudzimu Mukuru, Gomo Ramasare and Hombiro.
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Efforts to get a comment from Mabhande were fruitless as his mobile phone was not reachable.
Famed for their popular songs in the 90s, Zig-Zag Band reunited early this year after their last recording in 2005 when they released an album titled Chigiyo Vibes before they took a sabbatical due to economic hardships.
Recently, the group re-emerged with a 10-track album, Harder Than A Rock and are holding shows in Midlands province where they are based.
“As the title of the album denotes, we are here to reclaim our lost pride. We are better and harder than ever as we still have what it takes to be at the top again,” Lunga said.
He said the album was a reflection of cultural norms and values through music to attract locals and they had also started composing English songs so that they would have an international appeal.
Lunga said it was the group’s passion to preserve local culture through music making them relevant to the society.
The album includes songs such as Tinokuyeuka, Ndomene, Hard Than Rock, Moses, Mweya Mutsvene, Simukai, Pano Panyika, Vanodanana, Varoyi neMbavha and Chauya Chigiyo.
