May 9, 2026 (Gebeya Media) — Thirty-seven artists who participated in the “Kin Ethiopia” cultural tour held in BRICS countries have filed a lawsuit against music producer Kamuzu Kassa and Shakura Production, seeking the recovery of more than 30.8 million birr in unpaid professional fees.
The artists stated that although they performed in Russia, China, and other BRICS countries, as well as in around 11 cultural shows within Ethiopia, the payments agreed upon in their contracts were never fully made.
According to Reporter Newspaper, agreements signed between each artist and Shakura Production stipulated that each participant would receive 217,500 birr for four stage performances.
However, despite waiting for nearly one year and two months, the artists said they were unable to receive the agreed payments, forcing them to take the matter to court.
As a result, judges at the Federal High Court have issued a 20-day freezing order on the bank accounts of Kamuzu Kassa and Shakura Production.
The order reportedly applies to accounts held at the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, as well as private banks including Abyssinia Bank, Awash Bank, and Oromia Cooperative Bank. In addition to restricting account transactions, the court has also placed restrictions on Kamuzu Kassa’s assets.
The Ministry of Culture and Sports had previously announced that it allocated hundreds of millions of birr for the cultural tour. In a letter sent to the production company, the ministry confirmed that the budget had already been released to Shakura Production and Kamuzu Kassa, while urging the company to settle payments owed to the artists.
However, the ministry clarified that its contractual agreement was made directly with Shakura Production rather than with the individual artists, and therefore called on the company to respond to the artists’ claims.
For his part, Shakura Production head Kamuzu Kassa denied allegations of contract violations, stating, “We are making payments according to the agreement.”
Although he acknowledged that some remaining balances still exist, he claimed that the company had already distributed significant amounts of money to the artists.
The artists, however, argue that apart from a few members receiving partial payments of around 50,000 birr, the majority of the agreed funds remain unpaid.
Back in 1985, the Ethiopian arts troupe traveled to various countries around the world under the theme “Adey Abeba” (People to People) to express gratitude for the humanitarian support the international community provided to Ethiopia.
Now, 39 years later, the “Kin Ethiopia” initiative was launched under the theme “The Renaissance of Ethiopia,” aiming to promote Ethiopia’s rich culture and arts to global audiences through cultural and artistic diplomacy while helping build the country’s positive international image.
The event, which brought together all Ethiopian nations and nationalities and featured circus acts, traditional fashion shows, and elaborate stage performances, was announced at the time as an ongoing cultural program to be held in Ethiopia and across BRICS member countries — including Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, and Indonesia — as well as in other countries around the world.
