Self-proclaimed Maskandi King Mthandeni Manqele has withdrawn from performing at the annual Umbuso Wamaciko event, a maskandi festival that is scheduled for late September. This is after the Paris hitmaker, who is known to his fans as Igcokama Elisha, informed the organisers that he was withdrawing from the event unless they meet his new booking fee.

MORE VIEWS, MORE MOOLA

In a letter to Umbuso Wamaciko event organisers, Mthandeni cited his achievement as the result of his booking fee going up to R200 000 from R150 000. Mthandeni recently became the first maskandi artist to obtain 1 million views on YouTube, within twelve days of releasing his latest offering, where he features Afro-Pop artist Lwah Ndlunkulu, titled Paris. "There have been some developments regarding Mthandeni’s participation in events including Umbuso Wamaciko. Considering his remarkable achievement and growing demand, Mthandeni’s booking fee has undergone an adjustment. As announced on his social media accounts, his new booking fee is now set at R200 000, reflecting the value he brings to any event he participates in," the letter said.

NO PARTICIPATION

The letter which was signed by his manager Peter Vundla further said that regrettably, Mthandeni will no longer be able to confirm his participation at the event. "Should the Umbuso Wamaciko team wish to proceed with Mthandeni’s involvement in the event, we kindly request that you consider the new booking fee of R200 000. Mthandeni is committed to delivering an exceptional performance and contributing to the success of the event," said Vundla.

ORGANISERS WILL NOT BE BULLIED BY ARTISTS

Umbuso Wamaciko management team released a statement early on Thursday where they made it clear that they won’t be bullied by artists. "Our pre-booking of the artist regarding the event was way before the said recent achievements happened. Therefore the terms which were presented before never included the matter that you are bringing up now, which has to do with price hiking and 1 million achievement views," the statement reads. "Since our event is a free fee access event, there is no profit we will make. Based on the restricted budget we will not afford the services of your artist, therefore consider our booking withdrawn for now pending our consultation with our sponsors for further guidance," the statement reads. Mthandeni refused to comment on the matter.