LOCAL music promotions company Tamba Events has been threatened with legal action by Malian music legend Salif Keita over defamation allegations.
Tamba Events, which is owned by Nigel Chinovhiringa, ignited a potential legal row after claiming it had tied down Salif Keita for a show in May before Ecobank swooped in with its Intotal Band Legends Night concert scheduled for September 26.
The promotions company is seeking legal action against Ecobank Zimbabwe, the sponsors of Keita's concert with Intotal Band.
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In response, Salif Keita denied any association with Tamba Events for a May concert.
"I hereby state that we have not been in any conversation with Tamba Events regarding a show in Harare, Zimbabwe, in May 2026.
"If Tamba Events had been in contact with anyone from our team, it would not grant the rights to make any statements or publications, as our contracts are always negotiated confidentially.
"Please note that in the case that Salif Keita had performed in Harare in May, our exclusivity for any country is generally three months before and after a date, unless otherwise agreed in the contract," read the statement from Salif Keita.
Salif Keita challenged Chinovhiringa and his company to produce contracts that show any agreements for a concert in Harare, threatening legal action against the company.
"We demand to be presented with any contracts that Tamba Events claims to have made for Salif Keita.
"We will take legal action against Tamba Events for defaming the name of Salif Keita, Ecobank and Intotal Band.
"We demand an official apology and a public withdrawal of the false claims," read the statement.
Clocking 11 years since his last performance in Zimbabwe, the legal row is not exactly how Salif Keita would have wanted to be entangled.
Tamba Events, which had a disastrous Sunshine City Festival, which it was forced to cancel in May, insisted on its position and accused Salif Keita of dishonesty.
"However, following the statement issued on 17 September 2026 characterising Tamba Events' claims as 'false', our hand has been forced to correct the public record and protect our reputation.
"Tamba has contemporaneous correspondence concerning the proposed May 2026 Harare performance through salifkeitamanagement@gmail.com, an email address displayed on Salif Keita's verified Facebook page, as shown in the accompanying screen recording.
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"We therefore stand by the factual basis of our position and demand a retraction and apology for the statements made about Tamba Events," read a statement from Tamba Events.
