A little drama is playing out over the ownership of the song “John Vuli Gate,” which is currently trending in South Africa. Already, the song has spawned a challenge, with many predicting that it will soon surpass “Jerusalema” in appeal and reach.
In case, you’re unaware, “Jerusalema” is the biggest song in South Africa right now, with over 200 million YouTube views. It has been endorsed by celebs, home and abroad, and even the government of South Africa.
Back to #JohnVuliGate. The South African boy band Mapara A Jazz had released the song “John Vuli Gate” in collaboration with Ntosh Gazi and Calona.
Ndivhuwo Nephawe, a member of the group Scara Chilli Ya Baba, has accused his brother and a member of the Mapara A Jazz group McMillan “Man Malaya” of stealing the song from him. He said the song was stolen back in July when they visited Scara Chilli Ya Baba studio to listen to a project.
He said a fight almost erupted between him and his band mates, who had assumed he gave the song to his brother. He vowed never to allow his brother near the studio of his band again.
He admitted his group had written the song in collaboration with Ntosh Gazi, who is already in the limelight, but urged Mapara A Jazz to stop performing the song and claiming ownership of it.
