A song centred on peace and stillness has unexpectedly become the subject of a very public disagreement between longtime musical collaborators Zoë Modiga and BandaBanda.
The tension emerged following the release of “Thula (Culoe De Song Remix)”, with Modiga publicly distancing herself from the release and saying she had neither been consulted nor given her approval.
BandaBanda has since responded with his own account of events, saying attempts had been made to engage Modiga before the release and revealing that the dispute forms part of broader unresolved professional matters between the two.
Zoë Modiga says she did not approve the release
In an official statement shared by Modiga and her Yelloëwax team, the acclaimed singer-songwriter said she had no prior knowledge of or involvement in the release.
“I want to make it clear that I had no prior knowledge of, involvement in, or approval of the release in question,” Modiga said.
She added that she was neither consulted about the release nor gave her approval for it.
Modiga further revealed that there are ongoing legal discussions surrounding rights, ownership and commercial arrangements relating to the work.
According to the statement, she has instructed her legal representatives to deal with the matter and does not intend to debate the underlying dispute publicly while the legal process continues.
BandaBanda puts his version of events on record
BandaBanda subsequently released his own lengthy statement addressing the controversy surrounding the remix.
According to the musician and producer, the original version of “Thula” was released on 12 June 2025, before being re-recorded live in 2026 as part of ISIKHATHI.
BandaBanda claims that before the remix was released, the music was shared with Modiga and that communications relating to this form part of a documented record.
His statement does not explicitly say that Modiga approved the commercial release of the remix — an important distinction given Modiga’s claim that she did not give approval.
Instead, BandaBanda maintains that attempts had been made over several months to engage on the remix and other outstanding professional matters.
“Meetings were arranged, correspondence was sent, follow-ups were made, and attempts were made to reschedule conversations that had not taken place,” his statement reads.
He says those efforts ultimately failed to produce a resolution.
Nearly nine years of working together now under strain
Perhaps the biggest indication that the disagreement extends beyond a single song is BandaBanda’s reflection on almost nine years of working together.
“For close to nine years, I poured an enormous amount of my creativity, time, energy and resources into a musical journey that I remain proud to have been part of,” he wrote.
He said he continues to value what was created during that period and would not diminish what they achieved together.
However, BandaBanda added that “no individual should be expected to remain indefinitely suspended in unresolved professional matters.”
The comments suggest that the Thula controversy may have brought a longer-running professional disagreement into public view.
‘A song about stillness has been met with so much noise’
BandaBanda later followed his formal statement with a more direct social media message addressed to Zoë Modiga.
He pointed to the irony of the controversy developing around a song whose message is centred on peace.
“What makes this moment even more ironic is that Thula is a song about peace, stillness and quiet. Yet somehow, a song about stillness has been met with so much noise,” he wrote.
He concluded simply: “I have always wanted peace. I still do.”
The comment adds an emotional dimension to what has so far largely been framed as a professional and legal disagreement.
Two very different positions
At the centre of the dispute are two positions that will likely require more than social media statements to resolve.
Modiga maintains that she did not know about, participate in or approve the release, while BandaBanda says the music was shared with her before its release and that documented attempts were made to engage her.
Being sent or hearing a recording, however, is not necessarily the same as providing legal or commercial authorisation for its release. Neither party has publicly released the underlying contracts or correspondence needed to independently establish what rights or permissions existed.
Modiga says the matter is now being handled through legal channels, while BandaBanda says he is comfortable allowing the documented correspondence and attempts to engage to “speak for themselves.”
From longtime collaborators to a public dispute
The situation is particularly notable because of the extensive creative history between the pair.
BandaBanda has been an important collaborator in Modiga’s musical journey, working with her across production, performance and other aspects of her career over several years.
That history makes the current disagreement considerably bigger than an ordinary dispute over a remix.
For now, neither side appears interested in turning the situation into a prolonged social media battle. Modiga says she will leave the dispute to her legal representatives, while BandaBanda ended his statement by saying his attention is returning to his music, family and work.
