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Guat artist steals Leela’s song!

HighlightsGuat artist steals Leela’s song!

PUNTA GORDA TOWN, Toledo District, Mon. Aug. 16, 2021– On July 27, Guatemalan artist Kimberly Flores was nominated for an award in the Folklore category for “her” hit song, “Din Din Walla Walla” — a Kriol song with Belizean origins that was popularized by Miss Leela Vernon, one of Belize’s most cherished musical icons who passed away in 2017. When reports of this reached Belize’s media, there was widespread outrage among Belizeans, as Miss Leela and her music remain a core part of the Belizean Kriol culture.

In an online comment posted below a Facebook news post about the Guatemalan artist’s unauthorized use of the song, the president of the National Institute of Culture and History (NICH), Sapna Budhrani, said, “Dear Kimberly and team, This is a song from BELIZE by the late Leela Vernon. You have not given credit to the original creator. You seem to be a young talented artist, and if you respect your art and career, then it would be best for you to recognize the original creators and country. LATE LEELA VERNON is a BELIZEAN CULTURAL ICON.”

Not long after, during further online discussions, claims surfaced that Miss Leela too appropriated the song. During conversations on social media, it was revealed that the catchy chorus, drums and chord progressions were written back in 1975 by “The Web”, a Belizean band, whose musical production predates Miss Leela’s version of the song.

Andrei Vernon, a granddaughter and former background dancer of Miss Leela Vernon, has explained, however, that the instrumental was originally used by Ms. Leela, her very own lyrics were inserted, and the instrumental was enhanced to suit Ms. Leela’s interpretation of the song. At this moment, it is uncertain if exclusive rights to the song were leased to, or purchased by, Miss Leela.

The credits for Flores’ rendition of the song contain no acknowledgements of either Miss Leela or the Web. This indicates a clear infringement by Flores of these Belizeans’ intellectual property. In a Facebook post, the Minister of Culture, Hon. Francis Fonseca, stated, “The Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology and the National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) are aware of the grievous appropriation of the Leela Vernon classic song DING DING WALLA WALLA by [a] Guatemalan artist.” He also indicated that he has directed NICH to “take immediate action to register a formal complaint” over Flores’s cultural appropriation of a Belizean song. He said the complaint would be directed to Guatemalan authorities as well as organizations in the region such as the Center for Education and Cultural Coordination (CECC) and the Central American Integration System (SICA).

Fonseca also noted how important it is to protect the cultural and intellectual property of our Belizean artists and for artists to register their works as intellectual property. A release issued by the Belizean Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers states, “BSCAP is calling on the Government of Belize (GOB) to collaborate, dialogue, and take necessary measures by actively enforcing copyright laws, which affords some protection against infringements that occur daily within country (e.g., music users not licensing the music publicly performed in their establishments). In doing so, the GOB will lead by example in showing respect for ‘intellectual, cultural and artistic property of regional and international artists as well as our own local artists’.”

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