The Voice (Botswana)

BANA BANA BA NTOGWA TO SUE KELLY KHUMALO

- BY KITSO RAMONO

BANA Bana Ba Ntogwa, a hosanna cultural music group have threatened to sue Kelly Khumalo for breach of contract and sabotage after the South African diva walked out of their show in protest of poor sound.

The pop artist was meant to headline the show but instead she threw a tantrum and screamed about the awful sound quality and walked out before she could even sing a single song,ruining what was supposed to be a good night of soulful and peaceful jazz for the Jazz Mu Toropo revellers.

“Thank you for coming, the sound is poor,” Kelly said before strutting off the stage.

“She sabotaged us! She completed sound check soon after arrival from the airport and she and her sound technician were impressed We were therefore astonished that when it was time for her to perform she walked off the stage whining about sound quality,” said one of the event organisers, Daniel Diamond.

When asked what their plan was after the Ngathwala Ngaye hit maker failed to honour her side of the contract, Diamond said they were going to file a lawsuit for failure to perform.

“We met all of Kelly’s expectatio­ns and even paid her in full; it’s terrible that she didn’t fulfill her end of the bargain. As things stand, I believe the wisest course of action is to sue her and her stable (Vintage Point Event),” stated the disappoint­ed Diamond.

Most of the big names local jazz artists on the lineup, such as Lister Boleseng, Punah Gabasiane, Nunu Ramogotsi, and Seretsi & The Native, did not show up either.

“I am disappoint­ed with some of the local artists too. Lister, Punah, and Nnunu had communicat­ed with us at the last minute that they would not show up if we did not pay them in full and yet we already had logistics such as lodging and transport organised. To our surprise, some of them actually showed up vey late into the night drunk and demanding to perform and to be provided with accommodat­ion. We did not entertain both requests,” Diamond said.

THABO Mhapha is the definition of multifacet­ed! He is a radio presenter, Attorney and Mandela Rhodes Scholar-elect.

He is most famous for being the presenter of Re Daa, and up until recently , Breakfast on Yarona FM.

The Voice had a fun chat with the vibrant 23- year-old from Maun to find out just how he does it all!

You’re a man of a thousand talents, but today let’s focus on Thabo the broadcaste­r. At what point in your life did you realise that you love broadcasti­ng?

I have always been very vocal, and even flamboyant as a kid. This probably stemmed from coming from a very loud family, so I always enjoyed speaking and making presentati­ons even at Primary school. However, it was only after being on Mantlwanen­g that I appreciate­d the industry and welcomed the possibilit­y of becoming a part of it.

Let’s go back to your Mantlwanen­g days. You were a presenter on the famous kids TV show. What was the experience like?

I am glad you asked me about this because I hold the memories of my Mantlwanen­g days so dear to me because looking back I have realised that I really didn’t appreciate them for what they were. The Mantlwanen­g experience was phenomenal and reaffirmin­g to me in many ways. My experience there was instrument­al in making me who I am today as a broadcaste­r.

You ended up studying law instead of Media Studies, how come?

I have wanted to study law since I was in standard two, so going that route was sort of a natural thing. For a while I didn’t know why, but now that I am a part of the noble profession I understand the critical role that law plays in our society. Whilst Media Practice is challengin­g and complex in its own right, it is fortunatel­y one of those career paths that I think you don’t need a qualificat­ion from a University for. A little bit of talent and tons of hard work can go a long way.

How was the experience and will you be returning to radio ever?

Being on Breakfast on Yarona Fm has been amazing! A real dream come true. I remember our very first show, for Monster Hit we played Sister Bethina and the listeners went wild! Batswana have been so welcoming and supportive and I am very thankful to them for opening their hearts to us in the way that they did. It was scary to follow up the legendary Brando, but I think we held our own and brought life, and young people back to that morning slot. As for radio, one never truly leaves. I am hoping to find another radio home whilst I pursue my studies in Capetown.

How were you able to balance law school and being on radio?

How I was able to balance law school and radio is a question I ask myself even to this day! It’s something that required me to really dig deep, and for a while I was operating like a machine, always on a schedule. I would do school the whole day, then prep for my evening show, then do the show and then go to sleep and repeat. There were moments where it was really difficult, one area would take a back seat to the other, but eventually God’s grace sustained me through.

Where and with whom will you be spending Christmas this year?

I am from the North, so A1 is where we are headed! I will be spending Christmas with mostly friends and family. I think this will be our first Christmas free from a lot of the Covid-19 troubles, so it will be special.

Would you rather have another 10 years with your partner or a one-night stand with your celebrity crush?

Definitely 10 years with my partner. Crushes are overrated.

Care to share with us who the lucky partner is?

There’s no partner, relationsh­ips have been closed for December.

 ?? ?? ENERGY: Balaakgosi’s performanc­e was one of the highlights of the night
ENERGY: Balaakgosi’s performanc­e was one of the highlights of the night
 ?? ?? POOR TURNOUT: The sparse crowd
POOR TURNOUT: The sparse crowd
 ?? ?? MULTIFACET­ED: Thabo Mhapha
MULTIFACET­ED: Thabo Mhapha

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