Nominated Senator Crystal Asige who is a former member of Sol Generation has sued the music label associated to popular group Sauti Sol accusing them of exploiting her
In the case, Asige accuses of exploiting her disability by using lyrics she composed in their hit song ‘extravaganza’ and not paying her royalties.
She claims that they violated her intellectual property rights by not paying her royalties for her contributions to their hit songs “Extravaganza” and “1919 to Forever’.
While testifying in court on Monday this week, Asige said her lyrics and melody were used in “Extravaganza,” a track from Sauti Sol’s Midnight Train album, without her consent.
The court heard that Asige was credited as a co-writer, but no formal negotiations took place and she did not receive any royalties for her work.
It was her testimony that she composed the third line of the song during a recording session at Snow-Ball Studio in Nyari Estate, Nairobi.
The senator also said she was involved in writing of another song in the Sol Generations album titled ‘1919 to Forever’ and it was released on their platforms without her knowledge.
“I later learned that a Sh 5 million deal had been struck, purportedly on my behalf, yet I received no payment,’ she said.
It was her further statement that her solo song ‘Lenga’ which gained traction on social media, was shared on Sol Generation’s platforms without proper compensation.
Asige claims that Sol Generation offered her development training in exchange for her copyrights but it is her argument that the agreement was ambiguous and not reflective of standard contract norms.
On the issue of exploiting her disability, Asige said the label used her disability as a marketing strategy to solicit funds and when she tried fighting for her rights she was fired from the label
Sol Generation allegedly told her that she was the “weakest singer” in the team and that the company was too broke to pay her royalties.
However, in cross-examination by Lawyer Maloba for Sol Generation, Asige
conceded that the label holds 100% master rights under the agreement.
But she clarified that according to her Sauti Sol cannot collect royalties owed to her because she did not sign the necessary agreements but she could not produce evidence proving that royalties were collected without her consent.
Asige urged the court to compel Sol Generation to pay her dues, arguing that her dedication and creativity deserve recognition. She emphasized the need to protect the rights of other creatives who may face similar challenges.
