Jazz Sensation Furious After Gontse Snub
Jazz sensation Punah Gabasiane is fuming for being omitted from a European tour organised by controversial businessman Gontse Gontse, covering France and Belgium.
Only Culture Spears left with Gontse on Saturday for shows in Paris and Brussels.
Gabasiane said Gontse told them that the trip hasfailed allegedly because of an article that appeared in last week’s Daily News. The government publication reported that “Gontse has failed to foot the bill for a farewell party that he hosted at the Botswana Marketing Craft two weeks ago”.
But Gabasiane sees this as a “silly excuse” by Gontse, and is demanding a written apology from the Gaborone-based promoter. Gabasiane said she has lost much income because she had cancelled shows for the two weeks that she had reserved for the European tour. Gabasiane said she was not treating this matter lightly and would insist on a written apology from Gontse.
Last week Gontse said he had been arranging for the trip for the past three months. He said when he travelled to France some time back, he took Culture Spears’ DVDs with him and the French loved the culturual music so much they enquired about the possibility of the group touring their country.
He said he was requested to contract the local artistes and coordinate the project. As a business person he also saw an opportunity in this venture. “Artists could also gain exposure. It is a win-win situation,” he said.
But there were indications that things would go wrong after Gontse failed to foot a bill after hosting the musicians at Botswana Marketing Craft earlier this month.
Gontse left the vehicle that he was using at the Botswana Marketing Craft after failing to pay the P5,000 bill.
Botswana Marketing Craft managing director Oliver Groth said yesterday that Gontse has not yet paid the bill and the vehicle was still at their premises.
Gontse said the fact that he was owing Groth was a private deal that had nothing to do with the media. “It is a private matter between two individuals. I am not owing the media nor the nation. I am owing a private individual. Unlike other people I will never threaten to sue you even if you write petty things about me. I give you the go-ahead to write anything negative about me. For me bad publicity is still publicity.”
He indicated then that he was a busy man and had no time to look for P5,000 and collect the vehicle.
[Via Mmegi ]
