Tanzanian musician Rajabu Kahali, popularly known as Harmonize, refused to perform at the Mombasa NRG concert on December 29, 2019 because he “hadn’t been paid his money in full”, the artiste’s manager, Jembe ni Jembe, says.
Jembe said that the organisers of the event told Harmonize, 25, that they would pay him the balance after collecting money from the revellers’ gate charges.
Though Jembe did not reveal how much the Fire Waist star already pocketed for the event, he said the balance was a “colossal sum of money”.
Harmonize had arrived in Mombasa two or three days to the event, and was spotted touring different destinations in the coastal city in the company of his fiancée Sarah Micheloti.
“That was disrespect to my artiste by the event organisers. We couldn’t allow them to take advantage of us,” said Harmonize’s manager Jembe as quoted by Global Publishers.
The NRG concert held at the Mombasa Sports Club, however, went on as planned, with the party’s main attraction, Burna Boy from Nigeria, rocking the crowd.
Reports, however, say Harmonize breached an agreement he had entered into with the event organisers.
Sources told K24 Digital Entertainment that the musician’s action to throw money at his fans while aboard a vehicle he had been given to drive around in in Mombasa, led to the residents causing “a bit of damage” to the car, forcing the organisers to deduct Ksh200, 000 from the Ksh1 million that he was yet to be paid.
“Upon being given Ksh800, 000, he refused to take it,” said the informant.
This is the second time Harmonize has refused to perform on Kenyan soil over payment wrangles. In November last year, the Show Me What You Got hit-maker refused to perform in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County over payment disagreements.
