USA-based Ghanaian music and film producer Kwame Mickey has publicly accused the gospel group Team Eternity of unauthorized use of a song he owns. According to Kwame, their track “Defe Defe” features a portion of a song for which he holds the copyright.
Kwame Mickey detailed that the contested segment, which appears at the beginning of “Defe Defe,” originally comes from a song written by Osuani Afrifa and performed by the Halleluyah Voices. Kwame explained that he legally purchased the rights to the song from the group and possesses the necessary documentation to prove his ownership.
Despite his ownership, Kwame clarified that Osuani Afrifa retains the intellectual property rights as the composer. He asserted that Team Eternity should have sought his permission before incorporating the song into their work.
As fellow Christians, he emphasized the importance of ethical conduct and expressed his desire for the group to rectify the situation. Kwame Mickey added that he would not be overly demanding if Team Eternity acknowledges their mistake and takes appropriate action.
In a conciliatory note, Kwame acknowledged the quality of Team Eternity’s song, describing it as “nice.” However, he stressed that proper channels should have been followed in using the song to avoid such conflicts. He expressed his frustration in a Facebook post, stating, “Who is that Defe Defe singer? If I start right now them go say I am ‘mansonia’. What is the difference between the two songs? Somebody tell her to report and do the needful. That’s all.”
The allegation has sparked a heated debate on social media. Some users argue that ‘Defe Defe’ is not a unique expression created by Halleluyah Voices and thus cannot be claimed exclusively by them. Others note similarities in the lyrics between the two songs. Halleluyah Voices’ line, “manhyia Nyame a anka ɔbonsam ayɛ me defe defe,” closely resembles Team Eternity’s “manhyia Nyame a anka y’ayɛ me defe defe.” In Twi, ‘defe defe’ is an adverb used to describe the gravity of an unpleasant situation.
Although the rhythmic patterns and melodic phrases of the two lines differ, Kwame Mickey is focused on the similarities in the lyrical content. ‘Defe Defe’ by Halleluyah Voices, written by Osuani Afrifa and executively produced by Kwame Mickey for Kaakyire Music Productions, was released in 2004.
Team Eternity, whose song ‘Defe Defe’ has recently topped Apple Music’s Top 100 in Ghana and amassed over 2 million views on YouTube, has yet to respond to the allegations. The track, part of their ‘Testimony’ album, achieved this feat shortly after its release on May 1, 2024.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Emmanuel Mensah
