Legendary singer and music producer Sello Chicco Twala vows that the movie about the music icon Brenda Fassie will not happen.
“Without the music I wrote and produced for Brenda, there will be no movie. This movie is not going to happen.”
According to City Press, Twala claims he has the rights to Fassie’s music, which he wrote and produced. The songwriter is reportedly taking legal action to put a stop to the release of the singer’s biopic.
“Besides my company having the rights, I have never been consulted by anyone. I feel disrespected and undermined, especially being the one who has written and produced almost 75% of the late singer’s songs,” said Twala.
This comes after the UK-based production company Showbizbee, in partnership with local artist management company Legaci Nova Entertainment, announced, last week, that a movie based on the life of the late queen of African pop queen is set to be shot in Joburg and Cape Town.
The company said that the film would be written and directed by Edward Shaw with a script based on a story by the late music icon's son Bongani Fassie.
Twala has reportedly instructed his publisher not to grant the movie’s production partners, Bongani Fassie, Legaci Nova Entertainment or Showbizbee – permission to use any of the songs he wrote and produced for Fassie.
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Twala also claims he was not consulted in the making of the film.
City Press claims that Twala’s attorneys have sent a letter to Legaci Nova. The letter state an agreement was entered into between Twala, Fassie Records and Fassie’s estate.
“In terms of the said agreements, Twala was granted commercial exploitation rights on the feature film of Brenda Fassie. Twala respectively holds 90% of Fassie records and [has an] 82% shareholding in Estate Late Brenda Fassie, with Bongani Fassie and Estate Late Brenda Fassie holding 10% and 18%, respectively,” reads the letter.