Alpha: Milioni tisini za TPF3 bado unataka uendelee kushikwa mkono?

Wiki hii mshindi wa Tusker Project Fame msimu wa tatu Alpha Rwirangira wa nchini Rwanda ameandika barua ndefu kuishutumu kampuni ya East Africa Breweries Limited, EABL, kuwa imeshindwa kuwaunga mkono washindi waliopita baada ya show.
Barua yenyewe iliandikwa hivi:
“Naandika barua hii nikiwa na uchungu mkubwa moyoni. Mashabiki wangu wapendwa, inauma sana. Kwanza naishukuru EABL kwa kunitambulisha kwenye midani ya muziki. Lakini niruhusuni tena niseme kukatishwa kwangu tamaa.
EABL inaingiza hela nyingi sana kutokana na washiriki hawa lakini bado haitaki kuwaunga mkono na kuwajali baada ya show. Ningependa kuwapa mfano wa Victoria Kimani, kama angekuwa mkweli na kuwaambia yote aliyoyapitia baada ya kushinda TPF1, ni aibu sana, kama EABL ingekuwepo kwaajili yake ninaamini Kimani angekuwa mbali sana na kipaji chake.


Mwangalie Ester, ni aibu jinsi watu wengi wasivyojua kuhusu yeye na bado hawamjui mwimbaji huyu mwenye kipaji, natamani angesimulia story yake kutokana na njia aliyoipitia baada ya TPF2, ni aibu kubwa.
Sasa kuhusu mimi, ni story ile ile naomba radhi kwa kusema hilo, hata hivyo sina cha kupoteza lakini EABL hili ni kubwa mnahitaji kuwasaidia wasanii wenu, msiwaache wakirandaranda kama kondoo waliopotea.
Mnachofikiria ni kuhusu ninyi wenyewe, inauma sana. Nakumbuka niliandaa show nyumbani Rwanda ambako nilileta baadhi ya wahusika wa TPF akiwemo jaji Ian, na niliwaomba EABL wadhamini show yangu wakapuuzia baada ya kuwaonesha ni kiasi gani ninajituma angalau kuwa mbunifu na kufanya nao kazi.
Ni aibu kwamba nilidhaminiwa na makampuni mengine na EABL haikuwepo licha ya kuwa niliwafuata kuwaomba udhamini kama makampuni yote haya mengine. Waliendelea kunipa ahadi mpaka dakika ya mwisho, ni aibu na inauma.
Na sasa mwangalie kaka yangu Davis, mpaka sasa hivi anahangaika na record deal, EABL sijui kinachoendelea kwenye mkataba wake kwakuwa hakuna kilichofanyika hadi sasa na TPF 5 inaendelea, unadhani watu hawa wanawatendea haki wasanii? Ninashangaa kwanini wanaendelea na TPF5 kama watakuja kufanya sawa na walivyotufanyia sisi sote? Sio haki.
Tafadhali watu msinielewe vibaya lakini watu huwapigia kura wasanii wawapendao na wanapenda kuwaona wakikua na wasipoona kile walichotarajia huwalaumu wasanii, tafadhali naomba mniruhusu kuwaonesha akina nani wanaopaswa kulaumiwa.
Inauma sana. Nimeviweka vitu moyoni mwangu lakini umefika muda niviseme, kwakuwa sina cha kupoteza lakini walau wacha niongee na wadogo zangu ili wasije kukutana na tatizo lile lile. Tafadhali mashabiki wetu tunaomba maoni yenu kuhusu suala hili.”
Maoni yetu
Kwanza kabisa tungependa kukubaliana na madai yake hayo dhidi ya waandaji wa Tusker Project Fame kwakuwa wanawajibika kuhakikisha kuwa washindi waliopatikana wanapewa uwezo wa kuja kupambana na wasanii wengine waliotoka kwa njia ya kawaida.
Barua ya Alpha imetukumbusha makala tuliyowahi kuiandika hapa Bongo5 kuhusiana na jinsi mashindano mengine kama hayo ya hapa Tanzania, Bongo Star Search yanavyotoa washindi wasioweza kumudu ushindani wa muziki. Barua hiyo ikatuamsha kuwa kumbe pamoja na mbwembwe zote hizo za TPF, hawachekani na BSS. Wote wale wale. Hutoa washindi ‘vibogoyo’ wasioweza kumudu soko la muziki baada ya kutoka huko.
Aliyoyasema Alpha kuhusiana na ukimya wa washindi wote wa awali wa mashindano hayo ni kweli. Ukianza na Victoria Kamani, leo hii ukiwauliza watanzania mia moja tena wale wapenzi wa muziki, huenda mmoja tu ndo anaweza kuwa anamfahamu.
Kwanini hafahamiki? Well, sababu ya Alpha ni kuwa EABL imeshindwa kumsupport! Swali kwa Alpha ni kuwa, mbona kuna vijana wanafanya muziki katika mazingira magumu kabisa lakini wanafanikiwa. Wapo waliotoka bila msaada wa maana kutoka kwa mtu ama kampuni. Wapo waliotoka mikoani na shilingi laki mbili tu za kurekodia wimbo na kulala kwa washkaji zao Dar es Salaam, lakini leo ni masupasta hata kama hawana kipato kikubwa kivile, kama mtu huyu anavyosema kumjibu Alpha, “Kaka well use the example of your cousin AY. He hustled his way out through the industry and got to make it big. EABL gave you a shortcut to being there in two months and gave you a big fund that most East African artists could hardly make in their early stages of music career! ‘
They prepare you enough for the competition out here I believe. What you got to do now is simply focus ahead and not drain your energy blaming boss wa jana! Instead muonyeshe uwezo wako by opening kampuni yako leo! So wewe kamua huko CA upae zaidi!”
Kwanini hawa akina Alpha ambao kwanza hupewa airtime kila weekend wakati wa mashindano hayo kwa kuonekana live wakiimba kwenye TV, lakini wakipata ushindi na kupewa kitita cha mamilioni ya shilingi hushindwa kufanya lolote.
Alpha alipewa zawadi pamoja na mambo mengine, shilingi milioni tano za Kenya ambazo ni zaidi ya shilingi milioni tisini za Tanzania. Hela zote hizo na bado anataka EABL waendelea kumshika mkono?
“Please Alpha, don’t mislead the people.. They did what they were supposed to do and it is puting you and your colleagues in the limelight, now it’s up to you and no one else.. And for the sponsoring a show part, that’s very different and the have all the rights to accept or decline. Dont mislead us please,”aliandika mtu mmoja chini ya barua hiyo ya Alpha aliyoiandika kwenye ukurasa wake wa Facebook.
Mwingine aliongeza, “Tusker project fame is a Launchpad, they promise the winner %5million which they give, they don’t promise to offer any other support like sponsoring events. There are so many people who need that exposure they gave you…. It’s the artist duty to work hard after TPF…. EABL is not a Musician nurturing company…If an artist doesn’t work hard after tpf, they can’t breast feed them.”
Akiwa na milioni tisini alikuwa na uwezo wa kurekodi wimbo sehemu yoyote anayotaka na kufanya video nzuri. Ama hela zimeshaisha na sasa anataka EABL wamwongezee zingine? Huo utakuwa ni mchezo wa pwagu na pwaguzi wa kusindikizana siku nzima.
Labda cha maana sana ambacho EABL na TPF wanapaswa kufanya sasa hivi ni kuwajengea washiriki uwezo wa kujitegemea na kusimama wenyewe watokapo kwenye mashindano hayo. Kamwe hawawezi kufanikiwa kama wasanii wenyewe watakuwa wakitegemea walishwe kila kitu.
Leo hii washindi waliopita wakiwemo Esther na Davis wa Uganda ni kama wanatakiwa waanze tena upya kama underground! Watu wamewasahau. Jambo linalotushangaza ni kuwa mbona wakati wakiimba kwenye mashindano hayo walionesha vipaji vya hali ya juu kuzidi hata wasanii wengi wakubwa waliofanikiwa?
Wanapokuja huku nje, nini hutokea? Ama ni ngumu sana kwa msanii aliyeshiriki mashindano ya vipaji kukubalika kwenye mainstream music? Majibu ya maswali haya ni magumu mno kuyapata.
Ushauri kwa Alpha na washindi wengine wa TPF ni kuwa wakubali sasa hivi wapo wenyewe na wanatakiwa kuhangaika kivyao.Muda wa kulishwa na wao kumeza tu ulishaisha tangu washinde. Wajifunge kibwebwe hasa kupambana na wasanii wengine waliotoka kawaida.
Bila hivyo wataendelea kulalamika maisha yao yote. Endelea kusonga mbele kama ulivyowahi kuimba and be man! The strongest man in the world is the man who stands alone.