Chipaz: A tale of two trades

Standard People
He is known as the dreadlocked guy whose passion for the showbiz is second to none, but unknown to many, music promoter Chipaz is a master of two worlds.

He is known as the dreadlocked guy whose passion for the showbiz is second to none, but unknown to many, music promoter Chipaz (born Partson Chimbodza) is a master of two worlds.

BY WELLINGTON ZIMBOWA

Away from the glitz and glamour of showbiz, the man fits well in the overalls as a mechanic at his Southerton garage where his company P&M Motors has made quite a name.

A qualified motor mechanic, Chipaz recently opened up to reveal how his passion is divided between his profession and his natural love for the arts and how he stood to be his own man in both spheres.

Monday to Friday, Chipaz works from 8am to 5pm at his workshop, while also preparing for the shows in between. Weekends are reserved for the showbiz — at times he must sleep only two hours.

“I underwent apprenticeship training as a motor mechanic with Puzey and Payne specialising in the BMW brand and graduated in 1997,” said Chipaz.

“After that I spent two years working for the same company before joining Quest Motors briefly. I then established my own company P&M,” said Chipaz, revealing that the “M” in his company name stands for Moreen, his wife.

Chipaz added that despite his rich CV as a promoter, he would never leave his profession as a motor mechanic and this would always remain his “rock” to fall back on should hard times visit him.

“Music promotion is just like gambling. Rewards can be good but at times one can incur massive losses,” he said. He recalled the heavy loss he incurred during a Mozambican tour he made with music legend Oliver Mtukudzi when a sold out show was disrupted by heavy rains, forcing him to refund fans.

Last year’s Tuku and Ringo show was another bitter experience for the veteran promoter who ventured into music promotion in 2004. The 5 000 fans who graced the event did not make enough numbers to offset expenses.

The workshop enterprise helped him venture into music promotion providing him with a solid foundation to stay afloat in the showbiz arena.

But his mark on the showbiz has also helped Chipaz the mechanic. “The mutual respect that is created in the arts has seen musicians such as Mai Charamba, Alick Macheso, Sulumani Chimbetu and Jah Prayzah bringing their cars for service here,” he said.

With 12 workers, seven being motor mechanics, Chipaz is looking forward to expanding to other cities like Bulawayo, a move he says would further complement his music promotion work.

“With the necessary partnership, I would like to expand the company and set up workshops in Bulawayo and Mutare. This will mean that if I spend a month in Bulawayo, I will also be concentrating on Bulawayo when it comes to shows,” he said.

The dreadlocked promoter owns The Castle Bar at the Exhibition Park and co-owns Plaza de Castilla in Harare’s Greencroft suburb. Among his other career highlights, Chipaz says he is happy that he helped convince Sulu to go solo in 2006, heralding a new era for the musician who has become a dendera giant.

The man says he pioneered charity soccer matches between musicians and journalists as a way of enhancing social interaction.

To mark his record on the showbiz scene, Chipaz Promotions will this April roll out a cocktail of events to mark the company’s 10th anniversary which will include a dinner, a sungura night, a stars soccer match and a gospel night.

Being a BMW specialist, Chipaz says he is deeply in love with the brand.

“I am a BMW man. My wife and I drive BMWs. But I also have a Range Rover and I drive it because of one thing, I put a BMW engine on it,” he said but refused to disclose the number of the BMW toys he owns.

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