Popular dancehall artist Brian Bweembya popularly knows as BFlow has come out to defend his name over accusations that some musicians that were close to the late PJay have neglected his legacy.
Reacting to accusations from some sections of society that fellow musicians have neglected PJay after failing to erect a tombstone on his grave, BFlow said the accusations are unfair.
Below is the full statement
PRESS STATEMENT ON P JAY’S TOMBSTONE
Monday 16th October, 2017
Lusaka.
I have noted with concern the speculative remarks and accusations made by several individuals on social media pertaining the late P-Jay’s tombstone.
I have been quiet over this matter for three (3) years and the public has continued to take pictures and videos of P-Jay’s grave and putting them on social media to show the world the current state of the grave.
Most people have accused me and others of fundraising for a tombstone but I have never said a word. The reason I have not been responding to the accusations is because I do not think it is good for me or anyone who has helped P-Jay’s family to start listing the things that we have done to help.
However, I think it is important for me to correct every person who has been publishing misleading information meant to tarnish the image of some Zambian artists (including myself) by accusing us of squandering money meant for the late P-Jay’s tombstone.
It is sad to note that most of the comments are coming from people who are so misinformed. It is also sad to observe that P-Jay’s family has not defended me whenever the public has put the blame on me regarding the alleged misappropriation of funds raised from initiatives meant to help them.
May I take this time to thank the people who have appreciated me for the role I played during and after P-Jay’s funeral. Some people have called me names after noticing that P-Jay’s resting place still has no tombstone. Indeed it is true what they say that you cannot please everyone.
Firstly, I would like to clear my name by stating that I have never organized, attended or participated in any P-Jay memorial/fundraising concert, for personal reasons. It is saddening to read comments that mix my personal success and international tours with the P-Jay tombstone fracas. But why? I wonder.
Secondly, I wish to inform all fans of P-Jay’s music that I made numerous strides during and after the funeral to help raise funds for the family. Some people have alleged that I sold P-Jay CDs and t-shirts without handing over the money to the family.
May I correct that accusation now. You might be interested to know that at the time of his demise, P-Jay had sold the rights to most of his music, making it difficult for the family to benefit from his intellectual property.
For about 6 months after P-Jay’s death, I worked closely with his family to help reverse all such transactions. After a long time of negotiations, I successfully won that battle and all the rights were transferred to the family. P-Jay and I had a collaboration album called ‘Dabo Trabo’. I permitted the family to make copies of that album and to keep all the revenue from its sales. The family printed copies of three (3) albums, namely Dabo Trabo, The Future and Imbeketi. They also printed t-shirts for sale. You may wish to know that I sacrificed my time to help sell that merchandise with the help of my Music For Change team members JC Starboy and Nelson Chisenga. We reduced ourselves to street vendors and went door-to-door selling CDs and t-shirts on behalf of P-Jay’s family. We used our own resources to meet the daily costs of selling P-Jay’s merchandise.
Not a single day did we ask the family for money to buy us lunch or a bottle of water after spending long days in the sun.
We successfully sold all the t-shirts and CDs that the family had assigned to us. Every transaction was recorded in a book that was handed over to the family together with all the money.
In 2015, I introduced the family to at least six (6) companies that were handling P-Jay’s revenue. I must say it made me happy whenever the family collected money from any of those companies because I felt we were finally winning.
Please note that I did not receive any of that money in my hands because I am not P-Jay’s administrator.
Therefore all such funds are paid to the legally appointed administrators from the family (names withheld). My only role was to facilitate the beginning of the transactions between the family and the entities that were paying.
Most of you may recall that I posthumously accepted the late P-Jay’s Best R&B award at the 2015 Zambian Music Awards. May I report that I handed over the trophy and the prize money to the family.
Further, in February 2016, I witnessed a payment amounting to over K40,000 that the family received from one entity (name withheld).
This was at a time when I was about to leave for England. Before I left, I had a meeting with the family and I told them that I would be the happiest person in the world to see a headstone on P-Jay’s grave once I returned.
To my surprise, when I came back in March 2016, I did not see a headstone. When I asked, I was told that the family decided they would buy it later in May 2016.
Their reason was that it was too early. I did not agree with that decision; but who am I to interfere with the family’s decision?
Today many of you are saying B’Flow and other artists have neglected P-Jay’s grave because there is no tombstone there. May I start by informing you that I am the one that negotiated for and secured P-Jay’s burial spot at Memorial Park, so I can tell you that it is not even allowed to put a tombstone where PJ’s body lies. What is allowed is a headstone.
Before you continue putting the blame on me and other artists, have you had a word with the family? Before you start blaming the Zambia Association of Musicians (ZAM), have you found out if PJ was a member? I wish people knew the things I have done before dragging my name in this matter.
My humble appeal to my strongest critiques on this issue is that instead of pointing fingers at B’Flow, Ruff Kid, Bryan, Slap D, Kay Figo, Mampi, Judy, Alpha Romeo, Macky 2 or any other artist that you say was close to P-Jay, why not offer your help if you really care about P-Jay’s legacy? I will always support P-Jay’s legacy in the best way possible.
I would have loved to continue keeping quiet about this matter but I am forced to give my side of the story in order to clear my name (hopefully).
Because this is a matter of public interest, I would like to publicly announce what I have decided to do going forward and I hope it puts the P-Jay tombstone issue to rest.
I hereby offer the prize money from the 2017 KMA Best Humanitarian Award that I won last week towards the purchase of P-Jay’s headstone (not tombstone). If the family will give me a go ahead, I will make the purchase myself or through my team.
DISCLAIMER: The contents of this press release are my own and do not represent the views of any artist mentioned in it.
NOTE: This press release is not in any way intended to discredit P-Jay’s family. It is meant to clear my name from accusations labeled against me by some sections of the public. I thank you.
Issued by Brian “B Flow” Bwembya, Lusaka, Zambia.
Released by Nelson K Chisenga (Admin Manager, Music For Change/B’Flow).
I didn’t finish reading because I got confused. The name on the tomestone reads brain cheengwa who is the same bflow clearing the air about pjay. Who is the late between bflow or pjay
Brian Cheengwa (P-Jay) is late. Brian Bweembya (B-flow) very much alive, made the above statement
The administrator is wrong. Anyways I don’t like commenting on the dead and the angry
Wow, such a level headed and quite frankly refreshing statement for a person who has been called names. This guy seems like a genuinely honest guy. Kudos. RIP PJ
WHO IS P-JAY hOW AND WHEN DID HE DIE? WAS BFLOW LEFT WITH THE BURDEN TO TAKE CARE OF PJAYS FAMILY, WHO ARE PJAY FAMILY MENTIONED HERE HIS PARENTS , BROTHERS AND SISTERS OR HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN? IT COULD BE THAT PJAY FAMILY IS ALL FIGHTING FOR BENEFITS .I ASSUME PJAY WAS MARRIED AND KIDS SO THE PROCEEDS FROM BFLOW EFFORST GO TO PJAY WIFE AND KIDS BUT WHO KNOWS MAYBE PJAY PARENTS BROTHERS AND SISTERS ALL WANT A CUT EISH..Issue of headstone belongs to the FAMILY not friends, family can decide and maybe ask for contributions from friends. LETS STOP TALKING ABOUT THE BELOVED WHO ARE CALLED BY THE LORD, ITS NOT OUR CULTURE
Some times it doesn’t pay to lower yourself to level of mediocre criticism just for the sake of it …. If you and PJ were close friends then be care full the way you handle the situation because you might be misquoted. And if you want to help , why not do it with out informing the public? Don’t behave like a cheap and immoral politician. Just do the right thing.
I think you have a serious mental situation. Honestly, you have failed to make scense out of this well articulated statement!?
Have you actually read and understood the statement????
Umunthu tatashya ,you did your part bro now leave it to the family they will decide what to do next,however don’t don’t even use your hard earned resources on such am sure equally you have other problems were such can be channelled ,pipo it’s not good in our cultural to continuously talk about the dead rest in peace Pal.
Zambian celebs banjala !
Mr.Toilet kambwili, what a name seriously!!!
B flow, they are just troubling you. In the first place, it is not even your obligation. You can help but you are not obliged. But remember we live in a country which has jokers in abundance
Bflow you are 100% right, I personally I know how you have been trying to help and moreover you were best friends with late PJay that I know very well. You cant disappoint them, you were family friends indeed. Baleke abalelanda. Mwandi mwana wandi my neighbor you have done a great job. God bless you!!! Jokers in abundance its true
Anyoko naimwe mwalishalila sana kikikiki
PJ eeee ndakufuluka PJ ee awe waya bwangu boyi
Zambian celebs ni patali. The Malawians are where they are now having used the Zambian scenario as a spring board and am sure some of you like their music, I do. You are simply marvelous younger man. You rendered help when it was really needed and please know that there aught to be a limit somehow. Beyond that it starts to raise eyebrows.
The problem in Zambia is that Deceased Estate Administrators, don’t understand that they manage estates for the deceased family and NOT for whom they think SHOULD have the money ( usually they think they are entitled). Equally the Administrator has Duty to ensure First the deceased is buried properly and should set aside costs for those.
From my experience in my family matters, The law us weak. There us no follow up unless people sue (the cost and ability to pay for representation us prohibitive). Not many can represent themselves let alone understand the gobbledygook Inheritance laws of Zambia which err in many parts. Effectively the traditional law takes away the clarity in normal law(based on the English law).
Effectively, the strongest family members group up and beat the crap out of the wife and children usually the Brothers and Sisters of the deceased who are wrong in law. We have a problem with understanding intestate laws in which the law decides who benefits if there is no will(again the nasty party of deceased family members gang up on the wife and children who are the benefactors in chief. I am petitioning a change in the intestate law to prevent Mothers (if their child dies before them), of the deceased who currently receive 20% of the estate, because frankly that is a confusion! since that opens the door to righteousness to Brother and Sisters if the Mother then deceases and is perverse because the Bros and Sis exclusion is then awakened!
Confused? Don’t be. In Zambia the Intestate law is very weak and open to abuse. What us being played here is the norm for many unfortunate Wives and children.
Take me for example, on paper under intestate, I am extremely wealthy with multiple property inheritance rights to both my mother and father, Sister Estates. I have a 400 hectare acre Farm, and multiple Rental properties, but ALL have been abused by Uncles and Aunts their children and sometimes I have been a pauper while they live like kings WITHOUT ANY SHAME or Guilt! It’s quite insane and there is need for the Govn’t to step up on clarity and firm assistance to Women and Children of the deceased. Maybe MANDATORY, Wills by ALL Men especially where the Wives have Common Trust Rights in the property they both bought…