JOHANNESBURG South African musicians are crying foul over the selection of artists to perform in a concert to mark the official opening of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. (Pictured: The Black Eyed Peas, one of the American bands on the FIFA World Cup ticket)
World soccer governing body, FIFA, and Control Room – a leading producer of global music events, last week announced a strong list of global musicians to perform in Soweto on June 10, in the event the FIFA World Cup Kick-Off Celebration Concert. Among the world-acclaimed, but mainly American artists, set to perform at the concert are The Black Eyed Peas, Shakira, Alicia Keys and John Legend.
The Parlotones (SA), Vusi Mahlasela (SA) and Benins Grammy Award-winning Angelique Kidjo are just three of the few African singers billed to perform and the South African musicians said this week that they felt betrayed. I knew four years ago that this type of thing would happen and I have been vindicated now, said Eugene Mthethwa, a former member of popular band – The Trompies, which also featured Zimbabwean-born Oscar Mdlongwa. This is very sad for African musicians who looked forward to participating in an event to mark the first ever, and maybe last, World Cup to be played on African soil.
Mthethwa, now working in President Jacob Zumas office, blamed fellow artists from his country for the decision not to support him when he raised alarm on the issue four years ago.
There is a vacuum that will probably be filled by our third generation as our second generation has gone astray and is consumed by drugs and Eurocentric beats that seek to devalue the Afro- centric sounds that characterised Paul Simons music. The sad part of the last-minute fight that they are putting up through the media is that it cannot change contracts signed by FIFA and those musicians.
Another popular South African musician, Mzwakhe Mbuli, said the 2010 organisers had betrayed African though their choice of musicians. I thought Africa was the host of the 2010 World Cup, but I got it wrong, said the man known here as The Peoples Poet. The Eurocentric Americanised line up undermines Africas musical genius and intelligence. SA Grammy recipients have been excluded and this is an insult to musicians from this continent.
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