Artists unhappy over payment
SOME artists from Limpopo who performed at the annual Marula Festival that took place in Phalaborwa over the last two weekends, are unhappy that they were paid R3 000 for their performances while other artists were paid up to R150 000 to perform.
PHALABORWA – SOME artists from Limpopo who performed at the annual Marula Festival that took place in Phalaborwa over the last two weekends, are unhappy that they were paid R3 000 for their performances while other artists were paid up to R150 000 to perform.
Promotion company Dabass Music Production was contracted to promote and manage the music festival. This Johannesburg-based company is owned by producer and music extraordinaire, Oscar Mdlongwa, better known as Oskido.
Tension arose after Oskido announced that local artists who wanted to perform at the festival first had to undergo a screening process in the form of auditions. Tempers flared when he further announced that those who passed the auditions would be paid a fee of R3 000 for their services.
One of these artists, Forsta Teanet, accused Oskido of favouring artists linked to Kalawa Music Production, a company that is also owned and run by Oskido. These artists included Bucie, Candy, DJ Zinhle, Busiswa and Uhuru.
These artists charged between R35 000 and R80 000 to perform at the festival.
A perturbed Teanet said he had refused to be auditioned.
“I have more than 25 years’ experience in the music industry as a professional artist. During that period, I managed to win more than 10 platinum awards, outclassing my contemporaries in the genre. It is therefore ridiculous and unethical for Oskido to ask me to undergo auditions and expect to pay me R3 000.”
Another artist, self-proclaimed kwasa-kwasa king, Steven Maloabotsheba Sefofa, was equally perturbed about the line up. Malo, as he is affectionately known in music circles, told CV that since its inception, he had never performed at the festival.
“I thought one of the objectives of the festival was to empower local artists,” he said.
Asked for comment on the matter, Oskido downplayed the claims by the artists and diverted all enquiries to the festival organisers.
“I cannot comment on the money paid to artists and the line-up as that was the prerogative of the festival organisers.”
Marula Festival project manager, Moses Ngobeni, said those who were paid R3 000 were emerging artists with little experience.
“The whole idea was to give them a platform to showcase their talents. We also fielded a sizeable number of artists from the province depending on their current form, fame and skill in the industry. I personally believe that we did a very good job and deserve credit,” he said.
According to him, well-known, experienced artists who performed were paid up to R150 000 for their performance.
The line up for artists to perform on Saturday included super stars like Jimmy Dludlu, Zonke, Selaelo Seloto, Xidimingwana from Mozambique with General Musca- Malatji, Don Laka, Kanda Bongoman, Budaza and Oliver Mthukudzi. These artists, charged between R70 000 and R150 000 per performance, according to Ngobeni.
