Who owns “Africa Money”, Sidney or Kwaku Bonsam?

It is just amazing the way we accuse people in this country without making use of the due process. Matters concerning ownership or patent right as far as music is concerned is another serious major problem confronting both musicians and the industry? Most of these artistes capped or not capped are ignorant of what the law entails that has led to things been done haphazardly by the stakeholders.

The on going fracas and brouhaha between Sidney and the members of Mile-End Compilation crew led by one Kwaku Bonsam shows clearly how ignorant (I wonder if he is aware of such entity) he is about the law. Kwaku Bonsam went on air precisely Channel R’s entertainment  program called Total Entertainment 205 to accused Sidney of stealing their song on their compilation and threatened to beat him up.

According to the furious and aggrieved rapper he together with other 8 boys were signed to do a compilation on a Mile-End compilation but when they realized that what they have done is not anything to help project them, they decided to seek the services of one of the known artists to help them. This, according to him the anus fell on Sidney so he was contacted and he agreed to help them.

He said, after a while he came and featured on a particular song called “Ghana Money”, that was two years ago. According to him they heard rendition of the song on air by Sidney who changed the content and added a few lines with fast beat without the knowledge of the original composer.

“In fact there was no doubt that there were traces of similarities and replica of the original song like “Ghana money eh, Ghana Mone oga dey chop am funya, funya” in Sidney’s own.” He claimed.

He said they have a contract with the producer and wonder why all effort to contact him has been unsuccessful and he has also not come out to say anything concerning what is going on. But he failed to tell the host of the program Agyeman Premper the whereabouts of the song with Sidney’s voice or whether he is the owner of the song. When asked again whether they have registered the song and who is the leader of the group, his answer was; “yes the song has been registered but they have no leader”.

His mother, Abena Anima was on air to confirm the story to the extent that she provided a cassette they have released to that effect which was played later on the program. Kweku also accused their producer one Mr. McKenzie Addo for keeping mute over the issue which he suspected some underground dealings. He went on to point accusing fingers at some of his colleagues like Kakarika (who actually owns the original song Ghana Money) for not showing commitment or joins them in the on going fight.

But when the manager of Sidney, Billy Ocean was contacted he disagreed with the entire allegation leveled against his boy and told him to seek redress with the copyright office if he thinks he has a case and stop making unsavory remarks on his boy.

When Sidney was contacted on the issue, he told Weekly Fylla, that it was his brother Richard Ofori alias Nana Oheneba who introduced Kakarika an underground musician to him to assist him and groom.

“He was the one who introduced me to the producer McKenzie and I never featured on any song. My brother you see I have wanted to keep silent to avoid given this so-called Kwaku Bonsam publicity, I don’t know, anytime I come out with an album there are some diabolic elements who want to counter it. Imagine when I came out with Abushkeleke and Scent No,  Kofi Debrah counted it, Obia Nye Obia was countered by Roro and co why can’t people be a little creative” the bemused Hiplife Ninja asked.

Listening to Kwaku, the impression one gets is that he was not on top of what he was talking about for instance whiles threatening to beat and accusing Sidney for stealing their song he at the same time calling on him, as he put it, Sidney is a senior brother and he know we can’t do him anything but he should see boyz-boyz for settlement.

When Weekly Fylla tried to reach Kwaku Bonsam on phone a lady who gave her name as Emelia who volunteered to speak on behalf of Kwaku Bonsam.  She said she does not own the phone and that Kwaku has gone out. She catalogue a whole scenario and stated that the song doesn’t belong to Kwaku Bonsam but because the hit song has been used, to render the album useless that is why Kwaku is mad about the whole twist of event.

She alleged that Kakarika who owns the said song and the producer have collected some money from Sidney that is why they have not uttered a word since the issue broke out. We have tried several times to talk to McKenzie but his phone was off. She promised to get us the contract the boys signed with their producer.

In an answer to a question Emelia said “The boys don’t have money that is why maybe they have not pursued the case or reporting to the appropriate quarters for redress”. She continued; “I am not enthused by the attitude of Mackenzie Addo and some of the colleagues of Kwaku on Mile End compilation for their betrayal and suspected them for bribery”

Sidney explained that for the purpose of copyright it is important for musicians to seek the permission of whose work one want to use for the original owner to give his consent to the use of the work before it can be used so if he Kwaku think somebody has stolen his song, which he doesn’t have rights to, the best way is to contact the Copy right for redress..

Since it is clear that most musicians including the undergrounds are unaware of the copyright laws I will entreat the MUSIGA since the COSGA is about to fold up to organize workshops and seminars for musicians and would-be musicians to educate them on some of this issues but the heat is on, somebody they steal somebody’s song fukafuka, Nyanga Nyanga…….who steal am…