‘Of concerts, raw deals and RV vs. DK

Nine months after the evergreen Cliff Richard vowed his Sri Lankan fans with his own hit parade, a bitter dispute has broken out between two of those responsible for bringing the British star to Colombo. Ranjit Vethakan, who facilitated the Cliff Richard concert in February, claims local organiser Damayantha Kuruppu has not kept his part of the deal between them.

‘He owes me a lot of money and I'm still waiting for it,’ he said. Vethakan, a music promoter of Sri Lankan extract based in Australia, says Kuruppu owes him US$18,544.65 as fees, airfares, telephone charges and hotel accommodation. In turn, Kuruppu says he owes Vethakan only US$ 5,000, as the other half of the fees as facilitator, but is pleading for time. ‘I have not said I won't pay him. I have only asked for time, because I suffered a major loss due to a local radio station not paying its dues for this show,’ he said.

Kuruppu says Vethakan was promised a payment of US$10,000, of which US$5,000 had been paid.‘I'm stuck with a huge Rs 5 million loss from the Cliff Richard show because a radio station, I had brought in as co-promoter hasn't paid up. Once I get this money I will pay Vethakan. Until then I don't have any money,’ he admitted, insisting he owes Vethakan no more than US$10,000.

However, Vethakan claims it was he who negotiated the deal with Sir Cliff's management and agent and passed on the package in April last year. It included the star's performance fee, facilitator's fee and a general figure of how much more Sri Lanka would have to pay to cover the travel cost of the singer and his entourage.

‘Therefore, it's not up to Kuruppu to 'offer' me any money, or alter that deal,’ he said. ‘It was a simple, straight deal on a take it or leave it basis’. ‘It was after Kuruppu had accepted that deal that he was put in contact with Sir Cliff's agent,’ Vethakan explained.

The Sunday Times can confirm having sighted an email from Kuruppu to Vethakan, dated 25 September, 2006, in which he acknowledges the fee as US$15,000 and confirms it would be paid in full "when I'm absolutely sure the tour is on."

This was after some doubts had surfaced in Sir Cliff's camp over the country's security situation. Vethakan also claimed that details on matters relating to his own airfares and accommodation were among the first items thrashed out over lengthy telephone discussions. It was after these "demands" were agreed to that Kuruppu's request to promote Sir Cliff in Colombo was considered.

Kuruppu had, according to Vethakan, assured him at the time that these commitments " were set in concrete". "If there was no such deal, why did he pay for one day's accommodation at Trans Asia," asked Vethakan, adding that Kuruppu had initially agreed to remit the full amount of US$15,000 by as early as December last year, and had since kept postponing it "with all sorts of excuses".

‘There was never a mention of his problem with the radio station when the remittance was delayed in the early stages". But none of this is admitted by Kuruppu. "I did not promise him anything of this sort," he claims. Yet, despite his dispute with the radio station, Kuruppu joined up with the same radio station to organise the recent Derrick Junkeer concert.

"Well, it was the other main organiser that wanted ABC to come in and they spoke to the radio station direct. I was not involved," he said when asked to respond on his about-turn decision to work with that radio station. Officials at the radio station were unavailable for comment.

The Colombo concert was a huge success for old and young fans of the star with endearing hits like 'Young Ones' and ‘Living Doll', although many fans were outraged by the enormous cost of tickets. A bitter email exchange between Kuruppu and Vethakan, has raged since March this year.

Vethakan, once a popular Sri Lankan singer, has facilitated concerts across several major Asian cities for several big-time entertainers, and was approached by Kuruppu through veteran compere, Vijaya Corea.‘Damayantha wanted to go big-time, instead of merely handling local shows, and was looking for access to international artistes. So, I suggested that he contact Ranjit, who has been doing this overseas for many years," Corea said, when asked for his involvement.

‘I brought the two together through this introduction," he said. Vethakan, who also facilitated Lobo's Colombo concert in August last year, claimed that he was again given a raw deal by Kuruppu. ‘I didn't even get a ticket for that show," after working on for several years. "I have seen Lobo perform elsewhere several times, but it would have been nice if I was able to see him on home turf."

Asked why he continued to deal with Kuruppu after the first deal wasn't executed as agreed to, Vethakan said the two deals - Lobo and Sir Cliff - were running simultaneously and by the time he realised what was happening, the latter had already been put in touch with Sir Cliff's minders.

When pressed as to why he had still continued with the "partnership" despite the alleged setbacks, Vethakan explained that his trust in Kuruppu was based entirely on the recommendation of Corea, whom he described as a "close friend . . . someone I've known quite well for more than 40 years." "You can trust my judgement on that," was how Corea had described Kuruppu to Vethakan during the period leading up to the introduction on April 9 last year.

International entertainers operate through a complex network of agents, managers, facilitators, promoters and scores of other in the entertainment chain. Vethakan said he negotiated the Cliff Richard deal with the singer's management and agent over several weeks. "I haven't earned a cent from the show. In fact, by paying off the others involved, I'm in the red," explained Vethakan.

Kuruppu, in the meantime, has continued to present shows in Colombo, promoting at least seven concerts at the BMICH since the Cliff Richard event, and another just recently - an Asian imitator of Tom Jones.