Moving to SA was the best thing for me - Gops

CHIPPA LEGODIMO
Correspondent | Wednesday December 8, 2010 00:00

 

This is despite the fact that his star seems to be fading as he has been missing from the local scene for some time.

Gops rose to fame with the hit number Moshanyana Ga Ona Tsebe, which still remains one of the most popular tracks to be produced locally with its original Setswana lyrics and concept.

'I know people have been worried about my whereabouts and many have just presumed that my career was over, but those who have ruled me out will be surprised to learn that I am even stronger.

I have stepped to another level in my music.  I had done so to convince local fans that I was good, but I had to test the foreign waters and I am happy to tell you that I have established myself very well in South Africa.  In fact, when I released the album Sebakanyana I was already working there,' he said.

Gops says he has never been worried about coming back battered like the other musicians whose careers suffered after their relocation to South Africa.  Maxy (Olebile Sedumedi) and Vee (Odirile Sentho) had trekked to South Africa hoping to take their careers to dizzying heights, but returned with bitter memories.

Maxy suffered more with ace producer Sello 'Chico' Twala calling her a psychopath after the two worked together to complete the late Brenda Fassie's last album.  However, Gops has insisted that his record company was taking good care of him saying that his experience in the music industry would make it hard for the industry's 'vultures' to prey on him.

'It is not easy working in a foreign country, but if you are not excited at the thought of working for this big South African company you would have time to think before committing yourself,' he insisted.

Gops, who is now married to a South African Xhosa woman, told Showbiz that he has matured both personally and musically, saying: 'I now have more people to think of when I make decisions.'  He is currently working on his new album, which he believes would be bigger than any he has done before.

He also observed that Afro pop genre has grown significantly in Botswana saying he was impressed with the number of young artists emerging on the scene.  Music being an unpredictable career, Gops has started farming back home in Letlhakeng.

He has appealed to fellow musicians to start venturing into other sectors of the economy while their careers are still flourishing so that they would have something to fall back on when things do not work out in the music industry.