Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Singer and President, Princess of Africa Foundation, South Africa sings during the Crystal Award Ceremony during the session ‘Opening of the Annual Meeting 2012’ at the Annual Meeting 2012 of the World Economic Forum at the congress centre in Davos, Switzerland, January 25, 2012. (Photo by Michael Wuertenberg via World Economic Forum, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons)
Legendary South African singer Yvonne Chaka Chaka says that producer Chicco Twala has never given her credit for writing some parts of the classic song, Umqombothi, claiming she had also never been paid for her contributions to the hit record.
Twala and Attie Van Wyk are credited as the composers of Umqombothi, one of the songs that helped Chaka Chaka to international superstardom.
However, in an interview with Newzroom Afrika, Chaka Chaka said that the two music writers had taken advantage of the fact that she was a novice in the music industry.
“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.
The woman who in her prime was referred to as the Princess of Africa said she had never confronted Thwala over the allegations.
“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.
Contacted for comment, Twala said Chaka Chaka had earned more from the song than he had as she could perform it around the globe.
“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.
