00:00Have you ever dreamed of being famous? Have hundreds of thousands of people scream your name?
00:15Even if we're a bit embarrassed to admit it, fame offers some huge benefits. Wealth, access,
00:21validation, adoration. But being a celebrity can come at a huge cost. Scattered across the continent
00:29are the remnants of great musical groups that shattered at the height of their fame and success.
00:35Salty Soul, Style Plus, VIP and perhaps the most bizarre of all, P-Square.
00:42What is it about fame that make even twins want to strangle each other?
00:48I don't know, but when it comes to lust, yeah, that's for sure.
00:54Welcome to the Flipside. In the early 2000s, P-Square, comprised of twins Peter and Paul Okoyin,
01:01was selling out stadiums worldwide. However, the group split in 2016, reunited in 2021
01:09and split again this year. I know whenever I go to the airport, people say,
01:14are you the singer or the dancer? I didn't know it was touching him. But I know there's a time we've
01:19come together and say, don't allow this thing get into you. You should be proud of what you're doing.
01:24It is not just P-Square. There seems to be a growing trend in Africa's music industry.
01:29When you look at a band, there's usually a star in the band. And for some reason,
01:34it can get to a point whereby that star feels like, you know, my star is not shining as bright
01:39as I want it to shine. And then the next thing that results is saying, you know, I need to bounce.
01:44So what is it about fame that changes people?
01:47Well, I wouldn't say necessarily that the personality changes. The likelihood is that
01:52they will be influenced by, you know, the sound around them.
01:58When the Beatles broke up in the 1970s, it was not pretty, much like P-Square today.
02:04And it does not help that online, fans are trolling the other twin for being a sellout.
02:10During my research for this piece, I came across one group that appears to have thrived despite
02:16their fame. So I wanted to know what makes Lady Smith Black Mambazo different?
02:21Well, Lady Smith Black Mambazo, if I'm not mistaken, since it was founded by Ujosef Shabalala,
02:28he remained the leader of the group from the conception until he passed on.
02:34So there was no room for a person to say, I want to lead this group. I can do better
02:41because the group already belonged, had had its own identity with Ujosef Shabalala.
02:48Of course, you want to be famous, but you also don't want to say nasty things about your friends
02:54when you split. So how do you strike a balance? It's important for someone who finds themselves
03:01famous to make sure that they don't lose who they are, not forget your roots.
03:07And that's the flip side.
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