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Langalakhe Mabena
Veteran gospel musician Pastor Charles Charamba has finally opened up about why he reported Zim Dancehall artiste Jah Signal on YouTube for copyright infringement, which led to the song Sweetie (Shinga Murora) being taken down on the visuals site.
Jah Signal’s Sweetie song borrowed heavily from the lyrics of Charamba’s 2011 hit song Kana Vanhu Vangu.
With some claiming that Charamba reported the song and intended to sue Jah Signal and claim financial gains, especially after the massive success of Sweetie, the elderly man dismissed the claims.
He said he took the video down because he was using Jah Signal as a lesson to young artistes like him who have a growing tendency to copy other artistes’ compositions and not acknowledge the source.
“We did this (to report the song on YouTube) not for economic or financial reasons, because even from the onset we haven’t demanded any financial gains. Even on performance royalties we haven’t received anything and we demanded nothing.
“We sat down and said we have to stop this trend, because as the Charambas we have fallen victim to our young sons and daughters (in music) while we are there to inspire them musically.
“There has been a growing trend where our children take our music from church and change it to put bedroom lyrics. It’s not only Jah Signal. There are many of them. One of them changed our song Buruka Mweya and mixed our lyrics with alcohol and bar connotations.
“Another one took Machira Chete and fused it with his own lyrics surrounding a situation whereby one solicits sex from a sex worker. On the song he even sang handidi nacho chamba changu (I don’t want with my weed), while on our original composition we sang handidi naye Jesu (I don’t want with my Jesus).
“Sometimes we just become too good for this young generation but at the same time we have to be parents. So we used Jah Signal to send a message and correct the young artistes to follow proper channels when intending to tamper with other people’s copyrights,” said Charamba.
He said young artistes have to be careful especially if they intend to remix a gospel song, as they might be mocking God while thinking they are creating good music.
“What they are doing has an element of blasphemy because their lyrics can insult God and we are there to correct the young ones and put them on the right path,” said Charamba.
Online Reporter