The 'Wendo Wi Cama' (Love is Sweet) Kikuyu love song by popular upcoming secular artistes Samidoh and Joyce Wa Mama has been received well in the country if its radio play and online streaming is something to go by.
With only a month after the song was uploaded on YouTube, the song has accrued over 211,000 views and thousands of likes managing to beat international hits by globally acclaimed artists whose songs were uploaded on the same platform on the same day (May 18, 2019).
However, while such a big achievement by upcoming local artistes deserves a thumps up, listening to the song keenly, you will hardly fail to recognise a Wangari Wa Kabera element in it.
Wangari Wa Kabera is a veteran Kikuyu Benga artist behind popular hits like 'Aciari', 'Maitu Beth', 'Niukurera Shifta' among others.
But where does the Wa Kabera element come in the Samidoh-Joyce collabo song you wonder? Well, it is evident right from the first stanza done by Joyce Wa Mama.
From the song's melody and tune to the succession of tones, you will be forgiven to think that the song is a rendition of Wa Kabera's song 'Niukurera Shifta'. This song was a reply to the late Sam Kinuthia's pre-2001 hit song 'Ndikurera Shifta'.
But as the popular Kikuyu saying 'ngima yumaga mutu-ini' (ugali is a product of flour) would have it, the song's striking resemblance to Wakabera's yesteryear's artistic work may not have come from the blues.
In a recent interview with Inooro FM's Jeff Kuria, Joyce Wa Mama revealed that she was introduced to music by Wangari Wa Kabera in 2009.
In fact, Joyce admits that Wangari housed her when she came to Nairobi to seek for greener pastures while acknowledging Wa Kabera's role in her musical career which she began as a backup singer for the former.
So, if you happen to share similar sentiments with me on this particular artistic work, you at least know where Joyce Wa Mama may have drawn her inspiration.
Whether this artistic piece would qualify as intellectual property theft, it is a story for another day.
For starters, intellectual property is defined as creations of the mind, such as inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, symbols, names and images used in commerce and is protected by law.
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