Veteran gospel singer Prince Goke Bajowa has accused highlife musician Adeyinka ‘Boye Best’ Adeboye of excess copyright infringement of his song ‘Olorun koda bi eniyin.’
Mr Bajowa made the accusations in a video posted on social media, accusing Mr Adeboye of using the song in an Instagram post to promote his supposed album launch .
He said that despite Mr Adeboye repeatedly performing the song for many years, he had always ignored him, adding that his decision to use it as part of his album promotion was unacceptable and suspicious.
Mr Bajowa noted that he had no problem with artistes performing his songs, adding that associating ‘Olorun koda bi eniyin’ with Mr Adeboye’s album without permission crossed a line because it indicated that he plans to include it in the album tracks.
He strongly warned Mr Adeboye to avoid any attempt to include his song in the album, describing such move an ‘evil.’
Mr Bajowa noted, “What he did recently on Instagram is that he wants to launch an album and he proceeded to use the video of where he was singing my song unauthorised to advertise his album for launch on his page. What impression are you trying to sell out to people? Do you want to release the song with the tracks on the album?
“The song that you re-recorded unauthorised and without permission and any licence. I just hope that is not what you are trying to do. Anybody that knows him should tell me that he dares not do that. If it had been the version that I sang that he was using, I would have said there are provisions on social media to use but with limitations.”
However, Mr Adeboye rejected the accusation of copyright infringement in a video posted on Instagram in response to the allegations.
He blamed the graphic designer who created the flyer for a Lagos show he was invited as the author of the confusion.
He said he is educated enough to understand copyright laws, noting he always credits Mr Bajowa on Instagram whenever he performs his songs.
“This last Tuesday, the video that prince saw. The graphics that someone did to trigger anger to make the video. I know nothing about the graphics. I didn’t know anything about it. It happens like this: this guy that manages Ambience Rooftop in Lagos that usually does pool side parties every Monday called me on Tuesday that he would like me to come and perform on Monday.
“He said he doesn’t have any pictures so he asked that I should send one of my pictures. So I sent one picture of where I am standing and told him to cut it like it was done with the graphics I did for my album launch. I have fought him. Maybe it was to attract people to his lounge so he told the graphic designer to write Boye Best new album launch and new instrument launch at Ambience,” Mr Adeboye stated.
He added, “So he went to use one of the videos of a performance at a church almost eight years ago and use the portion where I was singing the song as part of a general performance for background. Everybody knows that it is Baba’s song. It is not until everybody publicises it as his song.
“Everyone always asked me if I should sing the song. I never went to a studio to record it. Everybody should go see my songs online if they will see any lyrics because I am educated enough to know about copyright.”
