Bien responds after former signee Crystal Asige sues Sauti Sol

ELIZABETH NGIGI Lifestyle, Entertainment Journalist

26 October 2022

• Sauti Sol sued by former signee crystal.

• Bien said the band is ready to meet Crystal in court.

Sauti Sol's Bien has spoken out after former signees Crystal Asige filed a lawsuit against the popular boy band for breaching its contract with her.

Speaking to Mpasho's writer Elizabeth Ngigi, Bien said the band is ready to meet the now-nominated senator who is representing persons living with disabilities, in court.

"Let us meet in court and put all our documents on the table. We can only follow the path she has chosen. Those matters can be well handled in court just like she has done," Bien stated.

According to court documents, Asige wants the court to compel the artistes to disclose how much they have received from the songs she contributed, Lenga, Extravaganza, Ukiwa Mbali, Intro and Favourite Song since 2019.

She is also urging the court to order Sauti Sol to compensate her seeking orders that they deliver all licensing information on the songs she is aggrieved about.

Crystal Asige has sued Sol Generation Records Limited, Bien-Aime Baraza, Polycarp Otieno, Willis Chimano, Delvin Mudigi and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Kenya.

Sauti Sol is known for hit songs such as Short and Sweet, Melanin and Extravaganza among others.

In her court papers, Asige further said that she is a visually impaired songwriter, performer, and producer.

She alleges that Bien introduced her to Sauti Sol in order to write a song.

“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 claims.

Asige’s court papers filed by Mwakireti and Asige Advocates, further read;

"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."

She alleges ‘Extravaganza’ video's video was released, Bien-Aime informed asked her to sign a full recording contract following the song’s popularity but she refused and requested to discuss and negotiate the particulars.

They never met for negotiations, according to Asige.

"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.”She alleges that in the meeting, it was agreed that she would keep full master recording rights for Lenga. Asige says she authored, composed, co-produced and performed the hit song, therefore, is entitled to copyright."

The plaintiff was further informed that the first respondent was receiving a significant cash deposit of approximately Sh5 million from the sixth defendant (KLM) for use of her Lenga song,” she claims.

The talented vocalist said the label’s management basically kicked her out in November 2019 months after being signed. In a past interview with Mpasho, Bien said that Crystal had left Sol Generation ‘harmoniously’.