GQOM queen Babes Wodumo set social media abuzz on Tuesday with a plea for the return of a stolen USB containing a video of her new hit, Gandaganda.
Her plea has allegedly landed her in hot water. Aspiring artists DJ Pluto and DJ Luvas said the song belonged to them.
Pluto told Sunday Sun they had reported the matter to the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (Samro).
“We released the song in April this year. Even though it was not well-polished because of financial constraints, it is ours,” said Pluto.
He said they had been tipped off by a close friend that their song was being cooked by Mampintsha’s West Ink Records.
“When we were alerted about this, we first kept quiet. We thought she was going to change it here and there.
“But when we heard her version of the song, everything was almost the same, even the words and the length.
“It was exactly 06:40, just like ours that we released in April.”
Added Pluto: “When we saw Babes’s video on Tuesday on social media, she announced the song’s title as Gandaganda.
“And that was when we realised we’d have to fight for what’s rightfully ours. We may be emerging artists, but it’s our talent that made this song. We worked hard compiling this project.”
“The least Babes could have done was to ask for permission to use our song. Or even ask to work with us, not steal our work.”
Babes was not available to comment.
He said they were going to fight for justice on behalf of Gandaganda.
Both West Ink and Samro acknowledged receipt of our emails, but failed to respond.
West Ink spokesperson, known only as Melody, said she had forwarded our questions to their PR company for a response.
