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Mbulelo Mpofu, Showbiz Reporter
MUSIC married sports when the FIFA World Cup started in Qatar last month but controversy threatened to mar it when copyright issues reared their ugly heads.
The squabbles started with the late Zimbabwean musical icon, John Chibadura’s family claiming that the World Cup’s theme song titled, “Hayya Hayya” was infact, Chibadura’s rejigged “Mudiwa Janet” and was performed in Qatar.
The copyrights watchdog Zimbabwe Music Rights Association (ZIMURA) did due diligence, researching and analysing both songs to iron out any copyright issues.
In press statement released by Zimura on Wednesday,they stated that findings of the enquiry showed that, “the 2022 FIFA World Cup song did no originate from the late Chibadura’s song, ‘Mudiwa Janet'”.
In fact, Hayya Hayya (Better Together) was performed by a number of international artistes.
Earlier this month, heir to the late Chibadura’s Copyright Estate, Isabel Nyamukoko met up with ZIMURA to discuss the copyright claim by Chibadura’s family.
Spearheading the research party included Pastor Charles Charamba, Clive Mono Mukundu and Cape Town based music producer Dr Dread.
Pastor Chiramba and Mono Mukundu have also been members of the ZIMURA’s Authentification Panel before.
According to the statement, the “findings and conclusion were successfully relayed to Isabel Nyamukoko who fully understood and accepted the outcome.”
Copyright issues in music have been problematic ans case in point is when Marvin Gaye’s estate sued Robin Thicke for plagiarising the former on the song, “Blurred lines.”
– @eMKlass_49
Online Reporter