Zimbabwe’s celebrated gospel group, Joyful Praise Choir, is at the center of a copyright infringement dispute with the iconic Zig Zag Band, resulting in the removal of Joyful Praise Choir’s 2018 track, Ngoro Yeminana, from YouTube. The takedown follows claims from the Zig Zag Band that elements of their 1987 hit Gomo Ramasare were used without permission in the gospel choir’s song.
The Zig Zag Band revealed that they had sought to resolve the matter privately with Joyful Praise Choir for over a year. In a statement, the band expressed frustration, noting that the gospel choir “paid a deaf ear” to their requests. Misheck Donovan Chikamba-Chiyangwa, an agent of Zig Zag Band and son of founding member Fabian Chiyangwa, emphasized that the band had made repeated attempts for a diplomatic resolution.
According to Chiyangwa, efforts to engage Joyful Praise Choir’s lead vocalist, Rudo Madindi, began in 2022 when Madindi initially agreed to a meeting but later declined at the last minute. Further attempts were made following recent controversies on YouTube involving other Zimbabwean artists. During these exchanges, Madindi reportedly admitted to incorporating lines from Gomo Ramasare into Ngoro Yeminana, but a resolution was still not reached.
With no agreement in place, the Zig Zag Band decided to escalate the issue. “As the Zig Zag family, we started by initiating the removal of Ngoro Yeminana from YouTube,” Chiyangwa explained. Videos featuring the song, including one by Zimbabwean music promoter Plot Mhako, were taken down, sparking backlash. Mhako reportedly appealed directly to Chiyangwa to reverse the takedown, but his request was denied.
The matter has now been referred to the Zimbabwe Music Rights Association, marking an official step in the Zig Zag Band’s demand for recognition and compensation. Gomo Ramasare remains one of the group’s most celebrated hits, cementing their status as one of Zimbabwe’s defining music acts of the 1980s. The copyright dispute underscores ongoing tensions around intellectual property rights in Zimbabwe’s evolving music industry.
