However, January 2023 ould mark the first time that DailWonga would face negative media attention. This is the matter of his almost new single surfaced and fans and the general public reacted.
Taking to his Instagram recently, DaliWonga previewed what is set to be his first single of 2023 titled Re Lokeleng, which he worked on with Mas Musiq.
The song is inspired and borrows lyrics from the now viral video from TikTok by content creator Dimakatso Ephesia. The video was initially posted on the app in December 2022. However, it seemed to have found success when it was viral on Instagram.
As soon as the song preview landed on Twitter, tweeps were quick to not only diss the song. But call out DaliWonga for his failure to credit Dimakatso.
One of the most vocal and lauded opinions on the matter was from ZAlebs spiritual guide Sis Gugu. In a detailed thread shared by Sis Gugu she explained her stance on the matter by first stating by writing that:
“Everytime there’s a trend created by “regular people”, it ends up on a piano track. Hamba Ha, Re squeezeng, Inganekwane etc- I never see those creators in these credits or videos. Artists are stealing from unknown creators & we’re not speaking up for them. Please credit the kids.”
Sis Gugu went on to add that:
“I’ve seen this so many times and it’s getting weird. They credit their fellow celebs but let it be a regular kid from the hood, with small numbers, nobody credits or defends them. They complain about piracy but they do the same to smaller artists? No man.”
DaliWonga scraps Re Squeezang / Re Lokeleng
DaliWonga like most Amapiano musicians are not known for addressing matters as most ZAlebs would. This would either be through an official statement asserting the personality’s stance on the matter which acknowledges the backlash received. Or conducting an interview to contextualise what actually happened.
Therefore, it was no surprise when DaliWonga did not release a statement. However, he did somewhat acknowledge the matter via his Instagram stories. He shared a comical video of a man acknowledging that things are taking a turn for the worst.
His response being via Instagram is comical when considering that again it seems that DaliWonga prefers to use viral Instagram videos for inspiration or wording when addressing a sensitive matter. Similar to how he was accused of stealing or not crediting the content creator who inspired his single Re Lokeleng.
Moreover, seemingly to put an end to the matter, DaliWonga has since removed the preview of the single from his Instagram account. A sign which seems to suggest that despite his earlier feelings on the song, DaliWonga is not about bad PR and decided to scrap the single.
However, a person that seems to not mind the song or the attention that her viral video has received since DaliWonga received backlash is Dimakatso, the content creator behind the viral video. While the general public was lambasting DaliWonga, she shared a video confirming that she likes the song via TikTok.
