Master KG and Nkosazana Daughter reportedly reworked their hit song, Keneliwe which was originally owned by the Dalom Kids; the song was titled Celebrate.
According to Sunday World, two of the three Dalom Kids members, who were involved in the recording of the hit song are wallowing in poverty.
The original Dalom Kids, which was formed in the 1980s by Magdeline Zungu, Jacqueline Rotwana and Petronella Rampou, who died in 2001, claimed to have written the song, Celebrate.
The group was shocked to hear their song being remixed without permission.
Zungu, 55, revealed in a recent interview that the group was started in 1987 by the late, renowned musician and producer Dan Tshanda.
Dalom Kids was managed by Dan’s widow, Sylvia, who died in 2009.
Furthermore, she stated that Sylvia had taken control of the group’s finances and was the reason behind the creation of the new Dalom Kids, who went to events and sang songs from the previous band.
Zungu claimed that they didn’t give anyone permission to remix their song or consent to Master KG to remake the song with sultry Nkosazana Daughter featured on vocals.
“This hurts me so much because we were never consulted, and I hear my song on the radio and television all the time,” she stated.
“It hurts because my kids always want to celebrate when they hear that song, but I cannot let them because, really, what is there to celebrate? It hurts me.”
“I’m very hurt by that,” she said. “If you visit [my home] and observe how I raise my children… it’s heartbreaking. I don’t even receive royalties for my songs. I last received royalties in 2021, when I was paid R500.”
“That song, which we titled Celebrate to honour the years we have spent in the industry, was written in 2009 by Petronella, Magdeline, and me,” said Rotwana.
“Now someone else is reaping the rewards of our work.”
“Someone else is enjoying our labour while we remain uncredited. We just want them to credit us and pay us for our work.”
Rotwana and Zungu have initiated legal proceedings by conferring with their respective lawyers to address the issue.
Master KG, and the new Dalom Kids have been touring the nation, and in two weeks, they are scheduled to play at his birthday concert.
When Master KG called Sylvia to rework the song, he had no idea there were other members of the Dalom Kids, he said in an interview with Sunday World on Thursday.
He said: “I got in touch with Sylvia, the late Dan Tshanda’s wife, since I heard that she is in charge of the late musician’s work.”
“We made arrangements to do the studio session. We reworked the song after she arrived at the studio with three women who went by the name of Dalom Kids.
“According to me, everything was done through Sylvia.”
“I had no idea that there were other people involved because we had Dalom Kids in the studio,” he said.
