Botswana: Gospel Artistes At Loggerheads

Botswana: Gospel Artistes At Loggerheads

Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)

COLUMN
22 January 2008
Posted to the web 22 January 2008

Chippa Legodimo

Matheke Leteane and Joel Keitumele are at each other's throat over dynamic young gospel star Vusi. Things started last year when Vusi left Fledan Music Productions, or rather threatened to leave Leteane's record label.

The saying that dynamite comes in small packages is fitting for Vusi. He burst onto the gospel music scene like a firecracker in 2005 after the release of his debut album Ntate re Thuse, produced by Leteane.

He was then a nippy 13-year-old who only had dreams of becoming a gospel star. Under Leteane, the youngster established himself as one of the most sought after musicians, pulling big crowds to his shows. Just a year after he released his first album, the young man was nominated for the best male gospel artiste award. Perhaps fame came too early for Vusi. As his profile grew as a recording artiste, his mentor Leteane jealously guarded him like a female tiger protecting its vulnerable cub.

But at the same time it seems other producers hoped to snatch him from under his nose. Some were prepared to do anything to sign him up. Young as he was the star was bound to get easily tempted.

Late last year rumours started flying that Botswana's most promising gospel artiste was drinking himself to an early grave and was already having love affairs with older women. Apparently Vusi left Leteane to join Keitumele's stable and the move created a rift between the two men. Even now Leteane is angry that Keitumele tried to steal his brightest prospect while the latter accuses him and Vusi of trying to use his name to win fame.

While Vusi claims that he was enticed, Keitumele says it was the youngster who actually called him and asked to be enlisted. While accusations and counter-accusations flew around this reporter called the three men for an interview where they came face-to-face. "Vusi called to tell me that I should help him because Matheke was cheating him. I then told him to come over so that we could talk face-to- face, which he did. We then discussed it and I suggested that we meet the parents," Keitumele said.

"It is not true, you called me and after that you used every means to convince me to join you. You bought me beer and at one stage you brought a woman to me. But what angered me, and made me go back to Leteane, was that you even lied to my mum about him," Vusi said angrily.

Apparently the three of them and Vusi's father met sometime in November last year to sort things out as Vusi still had a contract with Leteane's company and had just finished recording an album. At that meeting Leteane suggested that he should hand over the album to Keitumele but the latter felt that Vusi and his mentor needed to deal with their issues before he could sign him on.

"I was then surprised to hear later that Vusi had been seen playing with Leteane in Francistown and I just concluded that the two had sorted out their differences," he said.

However, Vusi said that he decided to make a u-turn because he realised that all the nice things and promises from Keitumele were meant to entice him.

"I remember how you took me to Pure Drop and bought me alcohol, while you were not drinking. You just wanted to turn my head around, it was not that you wanted to help me," Vusi said.

"But how could I introduce you to alcohol when I do not drink ?" Keitumele asked, but Vusi chipped in, "but you remember how you bought me a six pack of Storm and bought yourself a bottle of Roxxe"

Leteane added, "Before our meeting with Vusi's father I found the two of you drunk at a filling station and we ended up fighting and the matter was reported to the police, so Joel should not try to be smart". At that stage tempers flared and Keitumele said, "you guys should stop using my name to go up, I worked hard to be where I am today".

The issue is said to be have created a problem between Vusi and his parents, so much that he once had to leave home because his mother was angry with his associationwith Leteane. Ironically, Vusi's mother does not trust Leteane anymore and would like her son to join Keitumele but his father is on Leteane's side. "The problems were there before I came into the picture, I heard of Vusi's drinking problem in August and he only came to me in November. That is why his mother asked me to look after him," Keitumele said.

Vusi, who has been a bright student all along, conceded that because of the problems that have dogged his career his studies suffered and he only managed a third class pass in Form Three. He had passed his primary school leaving examination with a merit. "I missed one of the mathematics papers, while Keitumele was spoiling me. He did not have my interests at heart; he just wanted to exploit me and he bad-mouthed Leteane. As it is now my mum is angry with me because I refused to leave Leteane. If it were not for him there would not be any Vusi and I am not leaving him. I thank God for showing me the light and (like the prodigal son) make me return," Vusi said. Both Vusi and Leteane accuse Keitumele of using dirty tricks to lure the youngster to his stable.

But the Vusi issue is only the tip of the iceberg. Leteane believes that since he won the Best Male Gospel artiste award in 2006, Keitumele has tried everything to prove that he is better, while Keitumele says that Leteane is jealous of his success in music