Popular Afropop boy band Sauti Sol has threatened to take legal action against the Azimio La Umoja coalition party over alleged copyright infringement.
This is after the coalition led by Raila Odinga featured their hit song ‘Extravaganza’ during the unveiling of the outfit’s presidential running mate on Monday at the KICC.
During the televised event, Azimio party leader Raila Odinga unveiled his running mate Martha Karua as ‘Extravaganza’ played in the background, a move the award-winning band says was unauthorized.
“The Azimio la Umoja campaign through its flagbearer and presidential candidate, the Right Hon. Former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga’s social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) have without license nor authority used one of our more popular original compositions, “Extravaganza,” as a soundtrack to the announcement post of the running mate,” said the group in a statement issued Monday.
“We did not license this song to the Azimio La Umoja campaign neither did we give any consent for its use in the announcement of their Vice-Presidential candidate.”
The band, which comprises Polycarp Otieno, Willis Austin Chimano, Mudigi Savara and Bien-Aime Baraza, further said that the political outfit’s actions amounted to copyright infringement.
“This action is a flagrant disregard of our basic and fundamental rights to property and freedom of association. Through their action they have taken away the right to own and control what is originally and solely our property,” said the band, adding that it had not agreed to any association with Azimio’s campaigns.
Sauti Sol noted that they do not have any political affiliations and promised to pursue legal action against the Odinga-led team for violating the band’s intellectual property rights.
“We are not aligned to nor associated with the Azimio La Umoja Campaign or any other Political Movement and/or Party, their Presidential aspirants, Vice Presidential aspirants and candidates at large. We are fully apolitical,” the statement read.