ODM Senator Crystal Asige Sues Sauti Sol, Global Airline
She also wants the court to compel the quartet consisting of Bien-Aime Baraza, Polycarp Otieno, Willis Chimano and Delvin Mudigi to compensate her.
Marvin Chege 
Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) nominated senator, Crystal Asige, has sued both popular boy band Sauti Sol and an airline based in the Netherlands for allegedly breaching a contract.
Asige, who was fronted by the party under the Azimio la Umoja coalition for the Senate seat, wants the court to demand that the artistes reveal how much they made from four hit songs; Extravaganza, Ukiwa Mbali, Intro and Favourite Song from 2019, which she was featured in.
She also wants the court to compel the quartet consisting of Bien-Aime Baraza, Polycarp Otieno, Willis Chimano and Delvin Mudigi to compensate her. Also enjoined in the case include the airline and Sol Generation Records Limited.
Ex-Sauti Sol signee, Crystal Asige. /TWITTER
"While under the first defendant’s record label, the plaintiff co-composed and performed on the widely known recordings Extravaganza and Ukiwa Mbali together with the second to fifth defendants, and her then label mates, professionally known as Bensoul, Nviiri the Story Teller and the group Kaskazini in 2019 and her contribution was credited as such," she claimed.
The lawmaker argued that her original composition was released without her permission on the airline's Facebook page and that the deal between the company and Sol Generation was without her blessing.
She thus wants the group to produce all licensing information on the mentioned songs before the court.
"Additionally, the plaintiff’s original composition was taken from her and recorded as the sound recording titled Intro and featured in the second to the fifth defendant’s latest studio album titled Midnight Train without the plaintiff’s knowledge or consent and released in June 2020 on the worldwide digital streaming platforms and social media and she was accredited as co-author of said song," her advocates, Mwakireti and Asige Advocates added.
She added that following the release of the Extravaganza video, Bien-Aime told her that he wanted her to sign a full recording contract after the song became popular, which never materialised.
"The plaintiff communicated her reservations on the aforementioned agreement with the first defendant and requested to discuss and negotiate the particulars," she stated.
”On November 7, 2019, the plaintiff was invited for a meeting with the second defendant (Bien-Aime ), Natasha Qubu (first defendant’s manager) Moriasi Omambia (first defendant’s legal manager and shareholder) and informed that the first defendant (Sol Generation) no longer wanted to continue with the plaintiff at the label, initially citing that the first defendant was ‘flat broke’ with no resources to keep her.”
Asige claimed that in the meeting, it was agreed that she would keep full master recording rights for Lenga. According to her, she authored, composed, co-produced and performed the hit song, therefore, is entitled to copyright.
The group denied the allegations insisting that the vocalist failed to honour the terms of the agreement. They were yet to respond to Asige's suit by the time of going to press.
Ex-Sauti Sol signee, Crystal Asige. /FILE
