A few months ago Mr. Tagg announced that he was embarking on a journey to search for talent in Botswana and in South Africa. He said that the search would be to look for the next star to sign to his record company, Real Deal. The talent search was to be undertaken in Botswana as well as in the Free State part of South Africa. The finalists in Botswana and South Africa were to meet in Bloemfontein to battle it out for the final prize.
Modubule said that things have not really taken off in Botswana compared to those in South Africa.
“That side, it’s going well and this side it’s not,” Modubule said.
He said that in South Africa they started out in Viljoenskroon where they made P36 000 in registration only, while in Botswana they made a mere P1000 in Molepolole.
“When we started, it was promising because I had brought in young guys to facilitate. They were all excited and they wanted a chance to be involved in a project like this. But without sponsors, we knew it wasn’t going to be easy but we could do it.”
He said that the youngsters threw in the towel when things got intense.
“I think it’s a norm here; we are not long term people. We are not used to building. You meet people and they just want to eat now. I think I’m blessed to have been that side because I see how people work there. They work their butts off. There is not a single person who will tell you that they have nothing to do. They know they have to work to earn a living. It’s not the case here. I think we are spoilt. We have been spoilt for a long time. We want to jump in and enjoy the fruits without knowing where they came from.”
Modubule said he still has hope. He said that on the 27th of this month, they will be in Mahalapye continuing with the search, adding that he hopes that things work out as the finals are around the corner and they were not going to compromise them just because things were not working out in Botswana.
He blamed the lack of perseverance of his team in the failure of the first edition of the show but he also blamed what he labeled as ‘the pull him down syndrome’. He said that some people pulled down their banners in Molepolole because they were having a show the same day.
I told them that: “We are doing our talent show in the afternoon, how does that affect your show that is at night?”
He said that he understands that they were all fighting for the same few opportunities but it isn’t the way to go about it.
“The whole nation needs God. Otherwise we are not going to go anywhere.”
Asked if maybe the cause of the low turn-out was because My Star was also in session at the time, he said that his was never the intention to oust My Star.
“We are not in this thing to start a fight with My Star, which is one thing that the little minds have a tendency of thinking. We believe in competition. Competition is healthy. We don’t have activities here. Our activity is sex and alcohol. Tomorrow we’ll be crying as a nation saying AIDS e tlhakaladitse.”
He said competition gives options, adding that some people may not be able to afford the fee for My Star but can afford the fee for Real Deal Talent Show.
“If you cannot afford P200, and can afford P100 then you’ll have an activity. On Saturday you’ll have something to do with your life, instead of engaging in some sexual activities. It starts with alcohol first, then you go and sleep with people. It’s an activity. What else can we do?”
On bringing back Unik Attractions and Dvyne, he said that the comeback will be Dvyne Attractions, a combination of Unik Attractions and Dvyne. He said that it was a project they were not going to rush into.
Of the tracks in album, he said that some of them will be borrowed from the South Africa production while others will have the feel that made the two groups household names. The group won’t include all original members. It’ll have Thuli and Micki from Dvyne as well as GL and Roxie from Unik Attractions.
He said that they have recently finished shooting a video.
Modubule added that he is also working on bringing out a Kwaito artist, known as Gopzz, whom he said appeals very well to the South African market.
“We want to give them a taste of what Batswana can do so that they don’t see us as fools of some sort as is currently the case. I don’t know why.”
On advising the youth, he said that he is aware that a lot of young artists have created prisons for themselves because they have it in their minds that they are celebrities and they have come to a point where they are afraid to live freely.
“In this industry, you need to find a job. This music should be part-time. If it’s going to be business it is going to frustrate a lot of young kids that are coming. What I’m doing now is that I’m trying to take talent and send it that side because you can survive on that talent there. The frustrations we went through as artists are painful,” he said. “The flashy videos are fine but you have to know that you are growing. In five years, you are going to be in so much pressure you won’t like it. You will be closed in a house without being able to go out or take a combi because you are wondering what people will say. I was one of those people wondering what people would say because I don’t have a car.”
He said that it is no longer the case as he has made peace with who he is. And he no longer lives for people.
“Government should give all artists a chance instead of focusing on one artist. Because then he becomes big and leaves a big gap from others,” he said, commenting on the industry itself. “Even if awards come, they think, ‘I can’t give an award to this one because this guy is too huge for me not to pass this award on to him’. It’s no longer a fair thing. We need to understand that in the industry things change. We know that Mandoza was big at some point and he is no longer big now. There is now someone else who is big.”
