Row rages over ownership of Soweto Jazz Festival concept
Local promoter feels cheated by US counterpart
Aspiring businessman Thabo Rangwaga is at loggerheads with a New Orleans promoter over the concept of the Soweto International Jazz Festival (SIJF).
Rangwaga, Sowetan Holdings CEO, claims international promoter Ernest Kelly and his SA partner Martin Paulsen stole his concept.
The first edition of SIJF was staged at the Soweto Theatre last year but was stopped by Joint Operations Committee on the second day, dimming it uncompliant. This year’s event is set to start today and will run until Sunday at GOG Gardens in Protea.
Rangwaga said he registered the concept in 2007 and created a blue print for it. He said the event was endorsed by different departments.
A letter dated January 23 2008, from regional manager of sport and recreation in region D, which Sowetan has seen, approved the event to be staged in Soweto.
Rangwaga said he delayed to stage the event because of funding problems. He has been to Jamaica, Ghana, Nigeria, the US and Canada to promote the concept because he had a dream. “I have been promoting the concept for the past 10 years. I wanted the world to come to Soweto to enjoy jazz and promote the township,” he said.
Kelly denied that he was stealing Rangwaga’s concept. He said he had legal rights to the name SIJF. Kelly further said Rangwaga did not own any rights to the name and there has never been any festival produced with the concept. “We have no responsibility to inform him of anything. Last year, we talked to him and entered into agreements with several local organisations because we wanted to involve as many people from the community as possible. “I view his approach as extortion and he has been a hindrance to the process of developing this event for the people of the community. We have invested over R30m in this project and we will not continue to invest in SA if these type of things keep happening,” Kelly said.
Rangwaga said a friend tipped him off that a SIJF was taking place at the Soweto Theatre.
He approached the theatre and showed them proof that the idea belonged to him.
“Few days later, I got a call that a New Orleans promoter wanted to meet with me. We met indeed, I explained that the idea was mine.
“Since they had already started working, we signed a cooperation agreement. I told them we are going to handle most of the operations. They were supposed to come in as funders,” he said.
He said he had unsuccessful tried to get hold of them until in June last year when the festival took place at the theatre.
Rangwaga said he was shocked to learn that the festival was happening again this year without Soweto Holdings’ involvement.