When a song is released into the market; everyone enjoys it, but the truth is, no one knows the effort made by the artiste to achieve such commendable and entertaining results. In this piece ANTHONY ADA ABRAHAM looks at some of the growing concerns of artistes who have been affected by this menace.
In recent times, there have been complaints of some artistes being fond of 'stealing other people’s' work and ideas, particularly in the entertainment industry.
Not too long ago, a group of young artistes claimed that the popular musicians are fond of listening to upcoming artistes in local concerts and shows, steal their ideas and release the songs before the original owners of the ideas, who may not have the money at that particular time to push it through.
Though Nigeria Copyright Commission (NCC) has warned that if you want your work to be protected you should follow? due process and the advertorial are enjoying airplay on radio stations, particularly stations where music is their major concentration.
Sometime back, a popular Ajegunle musician, Xperience Oligbese, now based in Edo State was reported to have threatened to drag Omawumi to court law over what he termed, as copyright breach.
The artiste, who is popularly known for his trademark 'Oligbese for sale' alleged that Omawunmi lifted some lines from his song titled ‘Do Something’ which is contained in the album Giv am Chance, released sometime in early 2004 and was produced by Nelson Brown for Progressive Sound Park, a Lagos-based recording company.
The Delta State-born dancehall musician said before Omawunmi recorded her song they had met several times at shows, where he? performed in her presence and the only thing she told him was she loved his style of music.
She did not tell him that she was planning to lift some lines from his song? “Do Something” until February this year when the label that released his album called to know why he allowed Omawunmi to use part of his lyricslift some lines from his song without permission or credit to him, which came as a surprise to him.?
He also said since last week he had been trying to reach her but she has not responded to his calls.
Oligbese, further lamented that the lines lifted was his brain child from Brother Do Something, Kpamurege, Sister so Something, Kpamurege
But let us look at it this way, what is music? The ideology in lyrics is quite different from what a non lyricist believes in.
There are lots of Nigerians whose songs have been either pirated or ‘photocopied’ just like 9ice said. If you are a song writer, or a poet, you may buy this assertion that artistes think alike.
There are people in the industry whose style of music are alike.? Notable among such musicians are Duncan Mighty and Timaya, Tuface and Joel, Durela and D’banj, Daddy Showkey and Baba Fryo among others. These artistes sing alike but the truth is none have accused the other artiste of stealing their styles.? When someone uses a line or a stanza of your song, it simply means that person identifies with you.
According to Kay-Smasher, an Abuja-based artiste, musicians should be happy that their songs are being used at least.
‘What about artistes who use various musicians’ lyrics to do a song? Why have they not been jailed for piracy? Some even call them all kinds of names after using their songs. The only advice I will give to Oligbese is to let sleeping dogs lie and understand that a time would come when consciously or unconsciously he would use someone’s stanza’.
Kelly Handsome in response said it all depends on the way the artistes used it in his song.
‘For instance if I want to sing a line from African Queen, I should make sure it is not used exactly as it was written by Tuface.? I should be able to blend it and give credit to the artiste.”
So if Omawumi is said to have used the said stanza in Oligbese's song as claimed, what is the proper.