Singer John Blaq embroiled in US Visa trouble, banned for 10 years
Byalagwira singer John Kasadha alias John Blaq is once again embroiled in USA Visa trouble after a whistleblower turned him in for declaring wrong intentions regarding his travel to the USA.
The singer was turned in by a USA based promoter identified as Promoter Baker after he allegedly showed double standards and took on another higher-paying gig, despite being already hired and booked.
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According to Promoter Baker, he had hired John Blaq for three concerts starting April 24 to April 26th to Boston, Texas and Washington DC respectively.
He adds that Shs 5.5m was cashed to John Blaq for the shows as well as hs2m to another party to help to process his visitors’ visa.
“We booked him last year and he asked for $1500 (shs5.5m), we agreed processed the Visa, which he was granted for two years. Immediately he got the Visa he asked that we increased the money because someone else was paying him $2500,” the promoter said in a phone interview with Bukedde TV.
To prepare for John Blaqs show, promoter Baker said they hired halls for the event at $2500, a nonrefundable fee only to hear that the artiste had changed his mind.
“On hearing that, we informed the embassy that the singer was traveling here on a visitors’ Visa and without a work permit. We told the embassy that we no longer needed him and his Visa was revoked. I dare him to come and counter this claim and I will buy his ticket in first class,” he added.
Nile Post understands that John Blaqs trouble came from another commitment he entered with organizers of the Uganda Diaspora Culture and Tourism Event (UDCATE), under former UNAA President Monday Atigo.
“Yes, I have him signed to a contract from last year,” Atigoo claimed when contacted.
Nile Post could not reach John Blaq for a comment, but Sqoop website quoted audio in which they claim the singer denied the visa issues and asked to be left to rest since he had returned late from a show.
However, Atigo claims the singer has not been banned yet and he is preparing a Visa with a work permit for him.
“No, why would he be banned for 10 years. He has done nothing illegal to be banned. Meanwhile, did anyone see a letter or official communication banning him? All that banning propaganda is just to mislead the Public which is wrong,” he said.
“I am filling a P3 (Permit) for him and that has always been the arrangement. The visitors’ visa that was canceled was never one that we were going to use. As you can recall, he came to the UNAA Chicago convention on a Permit too. These permits are always temporary for that specific period you are traveling. They are never more than two or three weeks. So one should not mistake a visitor's visas for a work permit (P3 Visas in this case),” he added.
Atigo who just ended his second term as UNAA President started a new organization after his four-year reign with the organization came to a close.
He is scheduled to join the crowded Convention market by competing on Memorial Day weekend at the end of May. That weekend already has two Bi-annual cultural Conventions ( BBNAC - Buganda Bumu Convention and Twegaitte International (Basoga Convention).
The newly elected UNAA President has her work cut out, another group that’s unhappy with the 2019 elections in Chicago and with People Power ties plans also to break away from UNAA and organize a protest convention in Boston.
UNAA already is locked in a battle for supremacy with arch-nemesis UNAA Causes that’s holding it’s Uganda Festival in Miami from Sept 3rd - 7th this year.
