Disgrunted kwaito singers were not pleased with sport, arts and culture minister Gayton McKenzie skipping Mapaputsi’s memorial service at Eyethu Shopping Centre in Soweto on Thursday.
The kwaito stars said they felt he wasn’t taking them seriously, as he mostly attends sports-related events.
Artists who attended suggested the music legends were not happy with the Mckenzie skipping Mapaputsi’s memorial service, and said they were looking for a way to engage with him on serious issues they face in the music business.
“We all know the focus has shifted from kwaito singers and it’s on pop, amapiano, Afrobeats and other genres. Some of the artists have two decades without setting foot on stage to perform and most rely on the amaR350 (social relief grant). They are struggling.
“The deputy minister who was here said kwaito singers will be recognised, but we know it’s just sweet air coming out of his mouth,” said one source.
Renowned music producer Squire Arnold Nododile, also known as Squire-4-Hyre, who has a long history of producing music for kwaito legends, expressed frustration about the lack of sustained government support for artists.
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“If the department supported the initiative on an ongoing basis, Mapaputsi would probably still be with us today,” he said.
“We have programmes that can solve our problems, but the department needs to provide the platform for us to engage. They cannot create solutions for us from boardrooms without consulting us about our challenges and proposed solutions.”
TshisaLIVE has reached out to Mckenzie’s spokesperson for comment. His comment and updates will be included once received.
Kwaito legends unhappy after Gayton skips Mapaputsi’s memorial service
Image: Instagram
Disgrunted kwaito singers were not pleased with sport, arts and culture minister Gayton McKenzie skipping Mapaputsi’s memorial service at Eyethu Shopping Centre in Soweto on Thursday.
The kwaito stars said they felt he wasn’t taking them seriously, as he mostly attends sports-related events.
Artists who attended suggested the music legends were not happy with the Mckenzie skipping Mapaputsi’s memorial service, and said they were looking for a way to engage with him on serious issues they face in the music business.
“We all know the focus has shifted from kwaito singers and it’s on pop, amapiano, Afrobeats and other genres. Some of the artists have two decades without setting foot on stage to perform and most rely on the amaR350 (social relief grant). They are struggling.
“The deputy minister who was here said kwaito singers will be recognised, but we know it’s just sweet air coming out of his mouth,” said one source.
Renowned music producer Squire Arnold Nododile, also known as Squire-4-Hyre, who has a long history of producing music for kwaito legends, expressed frustration about the lack of sustained government support for artists.
.
“If the department supported the initiative on an ongoing basis, Mapaputsi would probably still be with us today,” he said.
“We have programmes that can solve our problems, but the department needs to provide the platform for us to engage. They cannot create solutions for us from boardrooms without consulting us about our challenges and proposed solutions.”
TshisaLIVE has reached out to Mckenzie’s spokesperson for comment. His comment and updates will be included once received.
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