Harmonize now forced to sell three houses to exit Wasafi
Bongo flava artiste Harmonize has been forced to sell his three houses and parcels of land to raise enough money to buy out a clause worth Sh24 million that has made it difficult for him to exit the Diamond Platinumz-owned Wasafi Records label..
About a year ago, former Harmonize manager Mr Puaz exclusively revealed to Nairobi News that the singer had signed a 15-year contract with Wasafi.
Come August this year, Harmonize officially submitted a request to WCB management requesting to terminate the contract, thereby confirming speculation of a fallout with Diamond.
WCB manager Sallam Mendez would then confirm that indeed Harmonize had handed in a termination request and they had already initiated the process.
However, according to the singer, who is expected in the country today to host a release party of his first song ‘Uno’ under his label Konde Music, the Wasafi management has been frustrating the termination process.
According to the exit clause, which he regrets not taking time to consider its repercussions when he signed the contract, he will be required to pay Wasafi Sh24 million should he ditch the label prematurely.
If unable to pay the aforementioned amount, then Wasafi would remain as the owners of the copyrights of all his songs recorded under the label and will only be handed upon completion of the payout.
This is to mean Harmonize cannot use his songs recorded under the label for his financial gain.
This being the only way out, Harmonize was forced to sell three of his uncompleted houses and parcels of land to offset the amount.
The singer went further to note that he has been able to pay a big chunk of the Sh24 million and what is left is little.
“…katika mkataba kuliwekwa kwamba nikitaka kuterminate contract natakiwa nilipe pesa za Kitanzania milioni 500 lakini pia na gharama za utengenezaji nyimbo zote ambazo zimetengenezwa wakati niko pale. Kiukweli sikuwa na hiyo milioni 500 ya kulipa so nikauza baadhi ya assets zangu, kuna sehemu nilikuwa najenga nyumba zilikuwa kama tatu ikabidi niziuze site, kuna sehemu zingine nikauza so tuko kwenye process hiyo ya kulipa,” Harmonize explained.
Harmonize decided to terminate the contract just four years after he felt he was no longer getting value for his output. At the time of his exit, he was the second highest income generator at WCB after Diamond.