Nominated Senator and songwriter Crystal Asige has recounted in court how Bien Baraza, formerly of Sauti Sol, along with his manager and other band members, called her to a meeting where she was dismissed from their record label.
The visually impaired politician and accomplished artist has filed a lawsuit against the Kenyan afro-pop band, their record label, and KLM Airlines, alleging breach of contract. The case revolves around songs recorded between 2019, including Lenga, Extravaganza, Ukiwa Mbali, Intro, and Favourite Song.
Asige claims she independently created her sound recording, Lenga, which was allegedly released exclusively on KLM’s Facebook platform. She asserts that the deal between KLM and Sol Generation proceeded without her consent.
While giving her evidence in chief, Asige claimed that Bien admitted that she had a bad experience while working with them during a meeting on November 17,2019.
“Within the first five minutes, Bien who started to speak in the meeting began to say and his first words were, i know your experience with us has not been good, I can imagine. Those were his words and then from then went on to let me know that they had decided not to continue with me,” she stated.
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She added that when Asige tried to enquire about the 360 Artist development agreement, she was told even international Music star Burna Boy accepts those terms.
“When I tried to ask, they told me thar even Burna Boy who had collaborated with them also agreed to the terms,” she added.
Asige told Justice Njoki Mwangi that they kept her for half an hour, giving her reasons why they had to part ways.
“For the rest of the hour or so, they gave me reasons that didn’t seem to fall together because in that meeting, they had already come predetermined, there was no meeting of the minds,” she testified.
In her court papers, Asige said that Sauti Sol generation even told her to move from Mombassa and come work with them.
However, she says in 2019, Bien-Aime Natasha Qubu (first defendant’s manager) Moriasi Omambia (first defendant’s legal manager and shareholder) informed her that Sol Generation no longer wanted to continue with her at the label, saying that the record label was ‘flat broke’ with no resources to keep her.
However, in their defence, Sauti Sol through lawyer Conrad maloba have denied Asige’s claims saying that Asige has no claim against his clients.
The first defendant denies the contents of paragraph 10 of the Plaint.
“Contrary to the averments thereof, The Plaintiff was granted all the master rights of the sound recording titled “Lenga”. And in that regard the plaintiff has no legitimate claim against the 1st Defendant with respect to the said sound recording,” he submitted.
The senator has sued Sol Generation Records Limited, Bien-Aime Baraza, Polycarp Otieno, Willis Chimano, Delvin Mudigi and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Kenya.
From the deal with KLM, Asige said she was reliably informed that Sol Generation received approximately Sh5 million for the use of her ‘Lenga’ song.
She wants the court to compel the artistes to disclose how much they have received from hit songs Lenga, Extravaganza, Ukiwa Mbali, Intro and Favorite Song from 2019.
