30 000 sold Mazano copies recalled by Dembo over misunderstanding with white producer
Did you know: at one time, Leonard Musorowenyoka Kwangwari Gwaindepi Tazviinga Dembomavara recorded an album, then demanded that it be recalled because he didn’t like it.
Here’s the story
After the hit Chitekete, Leonard Dembo had a fight with his record company, Gramma. He felt they didn’t pay him enough. They increased his paycheque. Too late. He left anyway!
“Kupa kune chinyemu…” he probably sang as he slammed the door on his way out of there.
Mike Ralph, a record executive who had just formed the RTP label, happily signed Dembo. Dembo was sent to Shed Studios to record ‘Mazano’. Steve Roskilly was the producer. The album came out, 30 000 copies were printed.
Then Dembo changed his mind…
Said nah. We messed up.
Dembo told his manager: “This white guy (Roskilly) doesn’t understand our music. He messed up the rhythm”.
Dembo demanded that the album be recalled. 30,000 copies!
Back to studio. This time, there was a new producer – Dembo himself.
But, again, something went wrong
In the middle of re-recording, his drummer, Kidson Madzorera, fell ill.
Those days, studio time was hard to come by. They had to finish recording or forfeit their booking.
What to do, what to do…
Then Leonard remembered that he had seen his young rhythm guitarist, Innocent Mijuntu, fooling around with drums at shows and rehearsal. He told Inno to play.
That’s how we ended up with that unique drum line on “Wapindwa Nei”, which is rhythmically unusual for Sungura.
And that’s how we ended up with Mazano. It was the first time that Leonard was a producer, and you can tell by the very different “garage sound” on this album.
Recorded two times, because Mr Perfect didn’t mess around on quality, even after the product had gone to market
