The Sunday Mail
AS the screening of Starbrite enters its second week today on ZBC TV, founder of the talent search show Barney Mpariwa has come out to clear the air on the show’s dealings.
In a response to last week’s article where a former contestant, Amanda Manyowa, launched a scathing attack against Mpariwa and his team — the founder of Starbrite argued that both him and the artiste had been quoted out of context.
He also said Manyowa was never entitled to a recording contract with Tuku Music, adding that Starbrite had gone out of its way to ensure that even after two years, the singer managed to get her mentorship deal with Dorothy Masuka.
Mpariwa said superstar Oliver Mtukudzi offered Starbrite only one recording contract which was used by the winner.
“Most competitions concentrate on the winner only but we go above and beyond what most competitions do. People that have competed and won in our competition are now landlords because of Starbrite. Our 2013 winner, Trust Makurumure, now owns a house courtesy of Vantage Homes.
“Bulawayo dance group, Magesh, got a stand with title deeds from Phillip Chiyangwa. Pro-beats also got a stand and so did Promise Mudavanhu.
“For this year we have bricks from Willdale and Msasa Bricks to build homes for our winners. We have companies like Colcom, Lake Harvest, Fly Africa, Pro-Brands, Cheeseman and our biggest supporter, Culture Fund, coming in every year to assist us,” said Mpariwa.
Mpariwa said he could not stand aside while the project he toiled for, for years, first with the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation in the late 80s and then as an independent producer in the new millennium, being soiled.
“I am trusted by parents who give me their seven-year-old children because I have built a brand, a reputation for ourselves as trusted people.”
Mpariwa said he had never lied or misrepresented himself to any contestant, parent, winner or sponsor.
“We are not doing this for ourselves, we are doing this not even for money but simply to help these kids. At times I have used my own funds to finance Starbrite because there are just no sponsors out there to fund the competition 100 percent. I have deprived my own child a good life because of this project,” he said.
Starbrite boasts among its products Kireni Zulu, Prudence Katomeni-Mbofana, Mateo, Tendai Chidarikire, Potato, Witness Matema and Tony Friday, to name just a few.
Mpariwa founded Starbrite in 1989 while still with ZBC. He produced the show for the station until 1993 when he left for the United Kingdom. While abroad, Starbrite went into a comatose until Mpariwa returned to revive it in 2008.
His first show in the new millennium, however, came in 2012.
