…artiste says ‘riddim’ used without permission for campaign promo

INTERNATIONALLY-acclaimed Trinidadian Soca artiste, Darryl “Farmer Nappy” Henry has hinted at taking legal action against the PPP/C after his ‘Hookin meh’ song was used by that party in a campaign promotion advertisement.

Earlier Friday, in a radio interview on 98.1FM, the Soca artiste indicated that he was contacted by representatives of the Coalition to work along with them for their campaign promotion ahead of the March 2 Regional and General elections here.

His ‘promo’ song, a remix of his one “Hookin Meh”, was played at the launch of elections campaign of the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+ AFC) coalition at D’Urban Park. He also performed there after the formal programme was finished.

However, while in Guyana, he was made aware that his 2019 hit-song “Hookin meh”, sung on the Purple Heart Riddim, was remixed into an Opposition campaign ‘promo’ song which is critical of the incumbent government.

This remix, sung by a Guyanese artiste, was not sanctioned by ‘Nappy’ or his management team.

During the radio interview, “Farmer Nappy” said he would not comment on the matter, as his management is “dealing with that”. Later, however, he said that he felt that remixing his song was “disrespectful”, and alluded to copyright concerns. “You don’t just take somebody things and just do it so without permission,” Farmer Nappy said later, adding: “At the end of the day, it’s like I put my food in the fridge and you just take it.”
During that same radio interview, it was insinuated that the local artiste singing the remixed song was Bradon Harding, who is the reigning Soca Monarch of Guyana. On his Facebook page however, Harding wrote: “Let me say categorically that I did not sing that jingle.” He also added that he supports both President David Granger and the APNU+AFC coalition government.