This weekend, SA celebs came out, all dolled up in numbers for the South African Music Awards (SAMAs). As part of the celebration, DJ Cleo, real name Tlou Cleopas Monyepao presented a “30 year of Kwaito” tribute that unfortunately did not sit well with musician Zakes Bantwini.

DURBAN KWAITO

The Osama singer said DJ Cleo’s tribute was not inclusive. “I enjoyed the 30-year Kwaito tribute by DJ Cleo, but I was disappointed that the Durban Kwaito music era was not adequately represented in his mix,” Zakes Bantwinin said. DJ Cleo, responded saying, “My brother, I love you and your moves and [I] have always rooted for you. I have never tweeted or said anything negative about you. You have my number, and you know [that] SAMA’s are very political and are not my show or platform. Let us lead the youngins by example and not do social media rants like them.” 

SASSY

Kwaito veteran Sandy B has added salt to the wound by calling out DJ Cleo for allegedly never liking artists from Durban or KZN. “Unless he changed later on in life,” he said. “I welcomed him and Brickz for the first time in Durban and helped him meet some of the Ukhozi FM presenters and the program manager.” He goes on to share how the DCJ changed on him after he had set up an interview for him at a Durban radio station and how he made tribalistic comments about the accents of people living in KZN. “While together, he made fun of how Zulus spoke ?" well, that is not an issue, accents can sound funny to people who don’t speak certain languages,” he said. “This was all in 2005,” he added.

ATTITUDE

Sandy B says DJ Cleo needs to work on his attitude. “Zakes might not be wrong, by the way. Zakes danced for me back in the day as an underground, independent Kwaito artist as I started it all 30 years ago in Durban and who was a victim of gatekeeping since fame and money were always reserved for Jozi-based artists, who had TV privileges we didn’t have in KZN which made it hard for us in KZN to break into the market,” he said. “Even when that KZN TV was formed, it still prioritized visitors, just like how they quickly jumped into interviewing Cleo and postponed mine, but it never happened again.” He said, “No one will talk about some of us and our contributions to the industry especially in the 90s, because, when you play fair and want to help, others only want to use you. As an artist, I helped many Jozi Kwaito artists or labels who wanted to push their work this way back in the 90s. They won’t say it because it had to be just about them while one was trying to forge unity and cooperation. Even KZN-based artists are the same.” Sandy B said he has since met Cleo two times. “I have always liked Cleo’s production until now, but his attitude since that time has made me lose respect for him as a person.” DJ Cleo refused to comment on the matter. “I have nothing to say.”