Rafiki Mazimpaka in Row with Former Producer Over Ownership of ‘Igikobwa’ Remix
11 October 2020
[Photo Credit: Genesisbizz]
By Kinyua Mwangi
Days after joining Brotherhood records, self-styled King of dancehall in Rwanda Rafiki Mazimpaka is engaged in a tiff with his former producer Jean-Paul Getsinda alias Jay P over music rights for his new remix ‘Igikobwa’.
Brotherhood Records uploaded ‘Igikobwa’ to its YouTube channel a week ago, then Jay P asked that it be pulled down in what is understandably a result of a tiff on the song’s ownership.
According to the New Times, Jay P requested for Rwf500,000 from Mazimpaka. He said that he produced the original version in 2009 which makes his claim for copyright valid on the remix of the song 11 years later.
Jay P said that the Coga artiste declined his request saying that the song is yet to sell, therefore, cannot pay him.
This saw Mazimpaka lodge a complaint with Rwanda Music Federation.
“Jay P and I had worked together on many of my music projects since we started working together 11 years ago and I paid him all due expenses for the production of all my songs. I don’t owe him anything but I don’t know what he exactly wants from me to the extent that he would report my song to be banned on YouTube. I hope the music federation will fix the issue,” Rafiki told New Times on Sunday, October 3.
Mazimpaka holds that Jay P does not hold any rights to the song whatsoever explaining that there was no contract between him and the producer to do his music.
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He decried that Jay P was now putting him in losses as the song cannot be uploaded on YouTube.
“I would be making revenues out of the songs via different digital distribution platforms, but he is putting me into losses instead,” he said.
On his part, Jay P said he was irked by the fact that Mazimpaka does not want to hear him out and all he wants is to make 100 percent earning from the song on YouTube.
“Rafiki wants to earn 100 per cent copyrights on the song. I tried to speak to him but he did not understand me, yet I have the right to the song. I had to report the song, whether original or a remix, to pull it down until the issue is solved,” said the producer.
Jean de Dieu Tuyisenge, the President of Rwanda Music Federation acknowledged being in receipt of Mazimpaka’s complaint and will listen to both parties to find a fair solution.
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