COVER: Did local stars snub Kanumba’s book launch?

Dar es Salaam. Celebrity events in Dar es Salaam are characterised by lots of things which sometimes include noisy boasts of who is best dressed.

After so much talk a book about the life of the late actor Steven Kanumba was launched last week.

Unlike events that involve such folks, this one lacked the usual glamour and razzmatazz that the film industry has come to be associated with. All those belles and the well suited men who always grace the red carpet at such events were suspiciously absent; something was pretty wrong here.

A handful of actors such as Patcho Mwamba, Rose Ndauka, Frank ,Hasheem Kambi, Mzee Chilo and Elizabeth Michael were there to give the book the kind of start it needed.

Deputy minister Makongoro Mahanga who was in their midst cut a very lonely figure next to the author who had travelled all the way from Canada.

It was visible that he had expected slightly more from Bongo movies and no wonder he couldn’t wait to leave immediately after his speech.

In fact, the scene was a far cry and at the end of the day it was a mere book launch that befitted any other ordinary folk around town at a neighbourhood primary school.

Was this a snub?

As said earlier, there was just no activity there ,even nursery school graduation on an ordinary day could have been a better place.

The performance by Christian Bella and his Malaika Band lifted the spirits as the few who were available took to the floor to dance to his tune ‘Nani Kama Mama.’

Those in attendance blamed their colleagues for not being there when they were needed especially Steven Nyerere.

 “When he was alive we drank and ate with him. But now take a look at us, many of us pretended to be busy on a day when he and his family needed support,” said Nyerere.

At some point the funny man bordered a doomsayer claiming the Kanumba curse was bedeviling the industry in many ways.

“He was our pillar and we have not honoured him in the most befitting way that is why funny things are happening in this industry such as the lowering of prices, hatred and many other awful things,” said Nyerere.

He added: Today he becomes the first artiste to release a book posthumously, but when you look around I don’t see those who used to pretend to be close to him, this is by all means a curse!

Everyone seemed to have an opinion on why the stars did not attend a function that belonged to one of the pioneers of the film industry in Tanzania.

Singer cum actor Patcho Mwamba who was also in attendance didn’t have kind words for fellow artistes who he blamed for being hypocrites.

“Each time Kanumba’s story is told you hear of many illustrious tales from those who claimed to be close to him, but they are not here. If this was to be a birthday or an Instagram Party this hall would have filled to capacity,” said Patcho.

But as everyone was entitled to an opinion, there are some actors who barely knew what was going on that night.

Single Mtambalike whose place among the pioneers in film is quite well reserved says he didn’t know of the launch.

“Just tell me why would I turn down an invitation to honour a man like him, I mean even without an invitation I would have still made it,” he says.

Mtambalike aka Richie Rich was not isolated as many others such as Baba Haji denied having knowledge regarding the book launch.

Poor organisation

The blame could have well gone to those who failed to attend, but event organizing experts say the organisers left so much to chance and that was a major reason for the low turnout.

“The promotions started about three days to the event, this means that not many people got the information and probably they were giving the information to the wrong people,” one event organiser said.

The signs of a hastily organised event were written all over, apart from the author who gave quite a wonderful speech on how he went about his writing experience; no copies were available for people to purchase.

The invitation cards too were not something that even the fallen actor could have approved- too many mistakes and design flaws- something that is not acceptable in celebrity circles.

“This was supposed to be the day when they make a statement, but look, the books are not even here, this means that by the time the books get here the hype will be gone,” added another commentator.

The 100-page book whose cover price is Sh20,000 was written by Emmanuel Episcoper, a Canada-based Congolese national.

The origin of the author also became another contentious issue as some questioned why no one in Tanzania thought of the idea of writing a book of that type.

Revelations

Close to three years after Steven Kanumba died there have been rumours that his movies were still a hot cake.

As a matter of fact, they are, but given the status-quo at the market place none of the films belong to him. Speaking to The Beat, Flora Mtegoa, Kanumba’s mother says the deceased sold all his rights in the films which means they are not part of his estates.

“You might see all these films on the streets, but those are properties of Steps Entertainment and we don’t earn any royalties from them,” she says. The current market structure as opposed to what is known the world over demands that the film maker sells the Master copy to the dealer and cannot claim anything thereafter.