A music producer identified as Mayowa a.k.a Mayomuisq has accused gospel music singer, Osinachi Kalu, better known as Sinach, of royalty payment denial.
Mayowa made the accusation in a social media video post sighted by Religion Nigeria on Friday.
Mayomuisq claimed to have produced the popular gospel song WayMaker which has garnered about 212 million views on Youtube alone.
WayMaker, recorded in 2015, was named Song of the Year at the 2020 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards.
A United States of America performance rights organisation, Broadcast Music Awards, also awarded WayMaker Song of The Year in 2021 – making Sinach the first African gospel artist to achieve this feat.
BMI provides intermediary functions, particularly collection of royalties, between copyright holders and parties who wish to use copyrighted works publicly in various locations.
Veteran gospel artist, Micheal W. Smith’s cover version of WayMaker ranked No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Christian Airplay Chart for three weeks,
It also stood at No. 2 in 2020 on YouTube’s ‘Top 20 Most Played Nigerian Song of the Decade,’ with over 136 million views falling behind famous afrobeat musician Davido,’s Fall.
The disgruntled music producer claimed that though he was not the lyricist of the song, argued that the melody used was his.
He also stated that although he never signed any agreement with Sinach to be paid royalties, he didn’t relinquish his intellectual properties to the song.
Mayomusiq added that every civil means he employed to get his unpaid royalties on the song – which became a national anthem for years, had proved abortive.
Unless he relinquishes his publishing right to the song, Mayowa is demanding 50 per cent royalty on the song, which he argues was the exact amount of input in terms of melodies he added to the song.
He said, “For years I have tried, reached out, made efforts. Everything proved difficult. Now I have no choice but to let the world know that as the Producer of the song WAY MAKER, Sinach – for years – has kept back my part of the royalties to herself and refused to release them in spite of all the civil efforts I made.
“There’s nothing wrong in the world knowing what transpired, as they’re your actions and you should be proud of them in public, especially as a Christian music icon.
“A workman is worthy of his reward. It is unkind that you would hold back the little profit that should come to me in addition to yours. You have more than enough on the song, let go of the little that is mine.”
Watch the video below: