MTHWAKAZI RADIO         

‘Xenophobe’ musos bomb in UK - UK fans boycott blue-chip SA artists

Sunday June 22, 2008 01:24 - (SA)

NGWAKO MALATJI

Three top South African artists have become the latest victims of xenophobia.

They claim their pre-June 16 celebration gig in the UK was boycotted because of the xenophobic attacks back home.

L’Vovo Derrango, DJ C’ndo and DJ Sox of award-winning Durban’s Finest were supposed to have performed at the Mzansi Rocks South African Youth Celebration show at Batley Taverners Club in Leeds in the UK last Saturday, but the show was called off.

Now the trio claim the show – the same one Arthur Mafokate pulled out of because of a payment dispute – was called off because their non-South African fans snubbed it in protest against the recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

Scores of foreigners were killed and thousands were forced out of their homes by some South Africans, who accused them of perpetuating crime and stealing their jobs.

Speaking to Sunday World through his manager Sbusiso Mhlongo, L’Vovo says the show was cancelled because less than 20 South Africans pitched up for it.

“We learnt that some people circulated SMSes urging everyone not to attend because South African artists were not doing enough to help our government stop xenophobia,” he says.

L’Vovo’s sentiments were echoed by his buddy, musician DJ Sox.

“The show was cancelled because less than 20 people pitched up for it. All the people who came were South Africans.

“We always perform for black people from South Africa and the African diaspora.

“So because of xenophobia, some people circulated SMSes urging people not to attend because they think we South African musicians aren’t doing enough to stop xenophobia,” says DJ Sox.

DJ C’ndo croons the same song, saying: “The show was called off because of the whole xenophobia thing. The London show we did on Friday went well but the Leeds show on Saturday was bad.

“Only a few people turned up for it.”

The three blue-chip artists were responding to allegations that they cancelled the gig because the show promoter, Arthur Janjawa didn’t pony up their chips.

This after Zimbabwe.com, a Zimbabwean news website, reported this week that the three musos cancelled the show because Janjawa failed to pay them.

It reported that on Saturday morning, L’Vovo, DJ C’ndo and DJ Sox went to Leeds and found that Janjawa, who had promised to pay them R60000 before the show, was nowhere to be found.

With the promoter nowhere to be found, the report said, the show was called off and when the artists got to the hotel where they had been told they were booked, hotel staff said no payment had been received.

The artists slept in the hotel foyer, says the website, leaving early Sunday for Heathrow Airport to catch a flight home. All three artists dismiss the allegations.

 Meanwhile, Malaika and Bongo Maffin performed successfully at their show held in Stratford Rex in London last Saturday.

A day earlier Afro-pop group Malaika had wowed the crowds in Ireland.

 malatjin@sundayworld.co.za