“Veterans aren’t treated well in this country” – Trompies

Veteran Kwaito musicians Trompies have expressed how they feel South Africa give less or no recognition to veteran stars like them. Having spent over 2 decades in the music scene some feel the Sweety Lavo hitmakers have become irrelevant – which according to them is a lie.

“Trompies ayikaphelelwa (we’re still relevant),” he says. Jakarumba and bandmates Eugene “Donald Duck” Mthethwa, Emmanuel “Mjokes” Matsane and Mandla “Spikiri” Mofokeng.

“We’ve since learnt the business side of the music industry,” Eugene said Speaking to Drum.

“Veterans aren’t treated well in this country, they’re still dying poor,” he added.

The guys feel disrespected as radio stations won’t play their music because they’re considered old school.

“We’re treated as less than politicians and politicians need us to campaign to get votes. We fill up the stadiums – they cannot.”

“But that will never erase us from the books of history.”

Eugene from the team also spoke of how they reached the dark side of Fame.
“We’re lucky to be alive today and still be able to share our music.”

He said they drove themselves to all the gigs with plenty of alcohol in the car.

“We used to buy 24 bottles of whiskey and keep them in the boot. “I was the driver because the others couldn’t yet drive. We’d sleep in the car and regretted some of the things we did. But those things taught us to value life.”

They weren’t perfect but Eugene says they understood one another and kept each other motivated.

“Jakarumba was the loose cannon who would party into the morning, I was the designated driver and there’s the one who thinks he’s always right, but we won’t mention names,” he says as the guys burst into laughter.

Eugene gets serious when he says they’ve made their fair share of mistakes and hopes upcoming artists learn from them. Cash kings with fame comes fortune.

Eugene and Jakarumba reveal one of the highlights of their careers was their first big royalty pay out from the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (Samro). They each received R100 000, Eugene recalls.

“We went to the bank to cash our cheques and we rocked up there looking like regular township boys – the entire bank was covered with police officers because they thought we were lying.”
After a few phone calls it was established that they didn’t steal the money, and Eugene and the rest of the guys cashed their cheques.

“I bought a house in Kempton Park but it was repossessed a few years ago as I owed money,” Eugene says.
Jakarumba says he used the money to pay his parents’ debt.

“My parents were swimming in debt and I managed to pay off their debt. I could rebuild their house before my father died when we continued to make money.”