Singer and producer Lloyiso Gijana caused a stir when he had an outburst in the wee hours of Saturday at the Lemo Fest in Bloemfontein.
According to the muso, who goes by the stage name Lloyiso, he arrived prepared to perform at 11pm. However, he only performed at 1am. This left him reeling, as he was interrupted and told to rush his act.
“I am f****n tired of artists being disrespected. Shout out to my fans, f**k you Lemo Fest,” said Lloyiso as he walked off the stage.
Sunday World can exclusively reveal that Lloyiso was backstage waiting to perform at 11pm. But he only took the stage at 1am.
Felt disrespected by delayed slot and pressure while performing
He said while he was on the stage performing, the organisers kept showing a teaser of the next act Nathi. The latter was already waiting backstage.
That was when Lloyiso lost it, threw the F-words and walked off the stage.
Nathi then took the stage. However, shortly after Nathi finished his performance, Lloyiso returned to the stage with event founder Freddie Kenney. They both apologised for Lloyiso’s earlier outburst.
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“Firstly, I would like apologise on behalf of Lemo Fest, for our backstage problems,” said Kenney.
Apologies from singer and event organiser
Lloyiso also apologised for losing his temper and being rude to the audience.
“Firstly, I just want to say thank you to my fans for the way that I acted on stage. I apologise for swearing. Shout to Lemo fest, they threw such a beautiful event for the town. And we should be grateful for such great musicians who came out here today. I want to thank you so much for the support,” said Lloyiso.
Sunday World reached out to the festival organisers for comment. They responded in a statement, saying the matter has been amicably resolved.
“Following the on-stage incident involving Lloyiso at the Lovers & Friends Concert during Lemo Fest 2024, we would like to confirm that the matter was amicably resolved. Shortly after the incident, Lloyiso expressed his sincere gratitude for being part of the 2nd edition of Lemo Fest. He also offered a heartfelt apology to the Lemo Fest patrons, the festival organisers, and his fellow performers.
Matter amicably resolved
“Our festival is built on the values of unity, respect, and empowerment. And we will continue to strive towards creating a platform where artists, audiences, and local businesses can thrive together.
“We are committed to ensuring that Lemo Fest remains a positive force for economic
development. For cultural expression, and social cohesion in our local community. And we look forward to welcoming everyone to future events that reflect these core values,” reads the statement.
