By Hussein Kiganda
Mpaka Records boss Ykee Benda (real name Wycliffe Tugume) has opened up on punishing singer Dre Cali (real name Stephen Andrew Katende), who left the record label in January.
In an interview, Benda revealed that the singer was no longer working with Mpaka Records and does not have the right to use the name Dre Cali because it is a property of the label.
“At the moment, he is no longer part of us as a singer. We are retaining his name. Dre Cali is a brand of Mpaka Records. It was created by Mpaka as a trademark so he cannot use it anywhere. Before he came, he was called Dre 23,” Benda said.
Ykee Benda
He narrated that Dre Cali disappeared from the label in January after he had claimed that he was sick. Benda said it hurt him that the singer went away informally.
“I don’t know where Dre Cali is. I last heard from him when he told me that he was sick. We tried to go see him, but he refused. He then started missing studio sessions before going mute. If he wanted to go, he would have talked to us like a gentleman. We would have agreed to let him go because we cannot force him to stay,” he said.
Dre Cali, formerly known as Dre 23, was signed to Mpaka Records in 2019 after completing his studies.
Under Mpaka Records, he has released hits like Ebisooka N’ebisembayo, Ekifuba, Best Thing, and Singa Manyi.
