ATI GIVES CASSPER NYOVEST’S SHOW A MISS

  • Is seen at a meet-and-greet in Gabs instead
  • Cassper Nyovest’s team could not meets some of ATI’s requests for the stage but said so late
  • ATI’s Manager says there is “no bad blood between us” nevertheless

GAZETTE REPORTER

The sixth Fill Up Mmabatho Stadium Concert was to bring together a vast array of artists from southern Africa, including Botswana’s very own rapper and lyricist, Atlasaone (ATI) Molemogi.

However, even though he hyped the concert to the very last day, ATI did not make it to the finish line.

The famous rapper was scheduled to turn it up at Mmabatho Stadium, alongside Vee Mampeezy alongside other big names like Makhadzi, Nasty C, Musa Keys, Amaroto and Kamo Mphela.

 

ATI at a meet-and-greet in Gabs instead
At the time the iconic show got underway, ATI was spotted in a meet-and-greet at the 10th Botswana Musicians Union (BOMU) Awards at GICC.

His logistics manager, Benah Kobotwe, revealed in an interview that ATI did not perform at the Mmabatho concert due to logistical errors, essentially that Cassper Nyovest’s team failed to meet their requests.

Kobotwe said ATI had wanted to put on an electrifying performance that needed a number of resources put together but it was communicated late that it could not be done.
“ATI is one artist who prefers having a different type of performance every time he is on a show,” she said. “He wants things done differently and some of his acts require a whole lot of resources.

 

Cranes and a piano in the background
“That may include the use of cranes, lots of fire on stage and some for his dancers. The team bluntly told us that it was very late for them to do such things and we pulled out. Fill Up Mmabatho Stadium is quite a big opportunity for ATI so we couldn’t risk missing out on pulling a bang performance.”

She added that ATI had also wanted a piano in the background, even though the performance wasn’t going to be entirely live and the request was not met either.
“He wanted to have a piano on stage to spice up his act,” she said. “Apparently, no artist was supposed to perform live except the show owner, Cassper Nyovest. ATI was to perform backtrack but wanted a piano which couldn’t be accommodated because of strict rules in place.”

Even though some people see this as a public stunt, Kobotwe emphasised that there is no bad blood between themselves and Cassper Nyovest’s team. She said the team has vowed to communicate regulations on time for the next edition of the concert.