Mogwe�s Family Takeover Culture Spears
Staff Writer | Monday May 25, 2015 12:26
Charma adds that evidence of their worst fears that the band was being turned into a family property soon reflected upon discovering that Kabelo’s siblings had sold a lot of the hit Kulenyane’s stock and sent the money to their mother.
“ It was then that we started questioning what was happening. There were quarrels that resulted in their mother intervening and blaming me for the fights; I was bold at the time, I told them it is not Mogwe’s Spears, this is Culture Spears, our group; I said that because as the original members of the group we had shares certificates”
The popular performer says the Mogwe family affairs scenario continued getting worse as Kabelo brought in another brother, followed by a close cousin known as Mozara, to be in charge of distribution. Another cousin, Lydia Oile would also follow to come in also as a performer. She would then be followed by an additional family friend known as Malaki. There were now six Mogwe relatives. “ We did not have control, ours was limited to recording songs, and spinning money for the other family and it was disturbing.”
Charma-gal says this was the prevailing atmosphere at Culture Spears during the hey-days of the hit Kulenyane, although all the members of the group did their all to contain the explosive situation and present a perfect band in the eyes of the public. In fact she says between 2008 and 2011, she had broken up romantically with Kabelo because of business matters and the Mogwe’s family’s strong hand in the band.
“ From the very beginning I saw the proposed marriage as a cage, as something that will be used to trap me; I was scared, I got into the marriage under one condition, no community of property, because I could feel something was not right”. She says by 2012, there was no peace. “ There has been no family or marriage between me and that man, it was all a charade, to excite the fans out there.” Charma-gal continues.
If ever there were some remnants of control left for her in the group, Charma-gal says Kabelo took all the powers in 2013 when he called her and another remaining original member, Thembeni Ramosetheng and assumed all responsibilities in the band “ Before then I was supposed to have been in charge of hiring and administration and Thembeni, the finances.
Kabelo’s elder brother was now handling the cash, another brother was in charge of distribution, and Kabelo took the rest; Thembeni was angry and he quit. As for me I was tied down by chains of marriage, I could not go anywhere, I could not fight.” But now I can. I have started reclaiming what is mine. Culture Spears is my group. I have since met with Thembeni, we will be starting off to fight for what is ours as shareholders”.“ In fact I’m working with Thembeni now, we have always been like twins; we are on tour together for the 29 and 30, May and we will be performing Culture Spears songs together”, Charma-gal tells The Monitor.