Shakira Sony Stole Music From African Artists

July 15. 2010

Shakira: do they really think I'm gonna pay them!

Sony Music singer, Shakira has been sued for stealing music from an African music group. Cameroon singing group, Golden Sounds (Zangalewa), filed the lawsuit regarding Shaira's 2010 World Cup song, "Waka Waka."

They allege Shakira and her label Sony, have stolen music and lyrics from their preexisting 1980's song “Zangalewa.” The group found out about the song theft the hard way, like most copyright holders whose works are infringed, receiving a nasty shock whilst listening to the radio one day. 

Another African artist in Cameroon, Kéké Kassiry, spotted elements of his preexisting copyrighted works in "Waka Waka" as well. He has joined with Golden Sounds and have initiated litigation against Shakira and Sony. Really, at the end of the day, what does Shakira or Sony known about African music. 

It is not uncommon in Hollywood for multiple artists' preexisting works to be infringed for the same derivative song. During a legal case against chronic copyright thief, Mariah Carey, a recording studio worktape revealed the singer stealing an indie artist's copyrighted song. 

Carey was heard on the official studio worktape, talking about items to pilfer from the unknown's song and pairing it with other elements she was taking from a preexisting, released, George Michael track, all without permission or payment, for the same tune she was recording.

African artistes accuse Shakira

Posted on Thursday 15 July 2010 - 15:42 - FIFA World Cup 2010 song Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) written and performed by Colombian-born singer Shakira is stirring copyright controversies. Initially, it aroused some consternation among some Africans, especially those in the music world, why an African artiste was not chosen to do a song destined for a World Cup hosted in Africa.

But now, it’s getting deeper as some African musicians have begun to accuse Shakira of plagiarizing the rhythm and lyrics of Waka Waka, and are demanding compensation for copyright infringement.

First, the Cameroonian mid-80s musical group Golden Sounds (now called Zangalewa) publicly accused Shakira of using without permission their 1985 title “Zangalewa”, which now sounds “Saminamina” in Shakira’s remix...

Immediately after Golden Sounds’ proclamation, another African singer this time from Cote D’Ivoire - Kéké Kassiry – said Waka Waka belonged to him originally. In an interview with Ivorian newspaper Notre Voie, Kassiry declared that he recorded his version in 1986 and duly registered its right with a copyright society in France... 

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