DJ phones famous friend to rescue deal (TheTimes - South Africa) Metro FM DJ Tbo Touch roped in the help of his mate, the award-winning Senegalese soul singer, Akon, to sort out the mess caused by a phoney US agent.

Tbo Touch, 26, whose real name is Thabo Molefe, was trying to bring R&B sensation Joe Thomas to South Africa to collaborate with local artists.

He claimed he was conned by a US “agent” who took more than R400000 from him to facilitate the trip . But, after paying the money, Tbo Touch heard nothing from the agent again.

Tbo Touch then contacted Akon — known for hits such as Smack That and Don’t Matter — who contacted Thomas’s managers and arranged the upcoming trip. Tbo Touch said he has since instructed a US attorney to recover the money.

An upside to the drama surrounding Thomas’s trip down south is that Akon will be coming to South Africa too, said Tbo Touch.

The paperwork has been signed and Akon will travel here with Thomas in May.

Akon is set to perform, while Thomas will do a studio recording with an artist yet to be named.

Tbo Touch and Akon are partners in a South African business venture called Konvict Muzik SA, which facilitates collaborations between international and local musicians.

Last year, Akon walked off with the American Music Award for favourite soul/R&B male artist. He also received three World Music Awards, including one for the world’s bestselling R&B artist.

The son of Senegalese percussionist Mor Thiam, Akon has collaborated with, among others, Wyclef Jean on his recently released album, Memoirs of an Immigrant.