NOT AFRICAN ENOUGH: Cape Town group Freshlyground

TOO AMERICAN: US R&B star R Kelly, who is rehearsing with a local gospel group

American R&B king R Kelly and local Afro-fusion group Freshlyground have sneaked into the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Fifa World Cup in June.

The Cape Town-based band has been chosen to collaborate with US singer Shakira in performing the song It’s Time for Africa during the opening and closing ceremonies.

Sunday World sources say RKelly has been rehearsing with Vicky Vilakazi’s gospel group Soweto Spiritual Singers.

“These people have chosen Freshlyground and R Kelly against (minister of arts and culture) Lulu Xingwana’s wish,” says a source, who explains that Xingwana dismissed Freshlyground’s song because it was “not distinctly African”.

The source says: “She dismissed R Kelly because he sings an African melody in a fake African accent because he is American.”

Freshlyground will also perform the song at the kickoff concert at Orlando Stadium on June 10, at the opening ceremony the next day and before the final on July 11. And it will be available for download from April 26.

This will make Freshlyground the fourth South African group to perform at the Orlando Stadium concert.

The source says South African musicians are angry at the treatment they are getting from the local organising committee (LOC).

“The artists were promised that they would be included in the concert and it has since emerged that no artists will be added to the Orlando Stadium concert.

“They believe that they have been fooled. They haven’t heard any feedback from the organisers about it,” says the source.

Another source says they learnt that concert organisers from New York refused to add more South African artists, arguing that the deal was signed and sealed.

“Local artists have been given the option of staging their own concert on June 1 because officials don’t want the Orlando Stadium concert to be interrupted,” the source says.

Creative Workers Union of South Africa (Cwusa) president Mabutho “Kid” Sithole refused to comment. He says he will wait until he has met the officials concerned.

Cwusa was scheduled to meet the LOC, the South African Music Promoters’ Association and Xingwana but the meeting was called off after the LOC had allegedly failed to send a delegation.

LOC spokesperson Rich Mkhondo says there are no details of the inclusion of Freshlyground and RKelly in the opening and closing ceremonies, but “an announcement will be made soon”.

He dismissed allegations that no local artists were to be included in the Orlando Stadium concert.

“The list of additional artists who will be performing at Orlando Stadium will be released soon,” Mkhondo says.