MASCOM BOOSTA PROMOTER FAILS TO PAY LOCAL ARTISTES

Sharon Mathala | Monday January 20, 2014 18:25

 

The 7th Mascom Booster Bash was headlined by South African giants such as Stimela, Mandoza, Kabelo Mabalane, who all got paid, but local artistes have written a petition to the Ministry of Youth Sports and Culture and sponsors of the Mascom Booster Bash to complain about what they term bad treatment by the promoter, Seabelo Modibe, who has however denied that he pocketed the rest of the money himself.The event, which was held at the Mmopane Hill farms this past New Years Eve after a countrywide tour through Gantsi, Molepolole, Serowe and Gaborone, notably attracted a lesser crowd this year.

 Yarona FM presenter Dollar Mac Kgosi Kgosidintsi spilled the beans on Twitter on Thursday and by Friday a petition signed by seven artistes was out.It read in part: All local acts were not paid upfront, It has never happened that local artists come together as one to do something about being treated like doormats by promoters, Euri, Dj Khenzo,Wizards, Dollar Mac, Groovy Souls, Dj Anthem, Dj Lexx, Franix have not been paid...to this day, So we have came together as one voice to do something about this...We have written official letters to all the sponsors and all media houses, also to the Minister of Youth Sports and Culture, The ministry popped out money and then no Botswana artist benefits but international ones'.

For his part Modibe, said he was not worried about the pact of the artists but rather about the image of the sponsors. 'I do not deny that we have not been able to pay them, but its only because we did not make as much as we had hoped, because of the low turn out. but we did call the artists and met up with them at Game City to plead with them to be a little patient. Now they are calling us names and running to the media there is nothing much we can do'said Modibe.

When asked about the sponsorship to the tune of half a million from the government Modibe said the funds were for the pre-booster bash tour and added that all local musicians who took part in the pre-booster bash tour around the country were paid accordingly.  'We had hopes that we would make money from merchandise and ticket sales but we did not hence the mess we are in now.'