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Ghanaian music producer wins $250k in copyright damages against CAF

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A Ghanaian music producer, Kwabena Ofei-Kwadey Nkrumah, also known as Spiky, has won $250,000 and legal costs of GH¢40,000 against the Confederation of African Football (CAF) after he sued the football governing body for intellectual property rights violations.

Nkrumah had dragged CAF to the Commercial Court 7 in Accra for not seeking permission from him before using the beat of his music titled, ‘Okomfo Anokye,’ as part of promotional materials for the 2018 CAF awards.

While delivering judgement in the case on Wednesday, Justice Emmanuel Loddoh who presided over the case found CAF guilty of failing to obtain legal permission before using Nkrumah’s music.

Nkrumah who spoke after the verdict went in his favour, said CAF’s act of using his song without permission was a total disrespect for his intellectual property rights, causing him to lose money from any licensing of his music for commercial use.

Before instituting the lawsuit, Spiky had called out CAF in 2029 for copyright infringement in a series of tweets.

He had noted that even though CAF had sent an email admitting to using his work without his consent and had apologised, they did not reply to him when he made a demand for compensation.

“This is a win for the creative industry: CAF vs Spiky’s,” he wrote on social media.

While admitting to the offence, CAF said the musical work was “available online for free download without any restrictions or conditions, to use for the artwork posted on CAF’s social media platforms.”

They however, denied using the soundtrack for commercial purposes, citing that the CAF Awards was not a profit-making venture.

They further explained that they had deleted the work from their social media accounts and apologised to Spiky.

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Culture

Please forgive me, I’m now a child of God,’— Nigerian singer Portable begs for slapping pastor (Video)

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Controversial Nigerian singer, Habeeb Okiliola, popularly known as Portable, has pleaded for forgiveness following an incident where he allegedly slapped a pastor who went to preach at his bar.

The drama was ignited last week on Monday, September 9, when the street-wise singer was seen in a viral video slapping a man of God who had gone to preach at his bar in the Sango area of Ogun State.

The incident generated a lot of criticism from Nigerians including fellow pastors with some giving Portable an ultimatum to apologize or face their wrath.

In an apparent turn around, the street-pop Monday, tendered an apology and begged for forgiveness from the pastor and Nigerians in general.

Making the apology in a video the singer explained that he attacked the preacher because he thought he was there to cause him spiritual harm.

While begging God for forgiveness, Portable said:

“My fans, community issues are different from that of the street. May God forgive me. I didn’t know he was a genuine man of God. If I knew I wouldn’t have slapped him.

“I’m also a child of God. I’m human, I’m not perfect. I am an orphan. They have harmed my sister through this same strategy,” he said.

Watch the video below:
‘Please forgive me, I’m now a child of God,’ –Nigerian singer Portable begs for slapping pastor (Video)

Controversial Nigerian singer, Habeeb Okiliola, popularly known as Portable, has pleaded for forgiveness following an incident where he allegedly slapped a pastor who went to preach at his bar.

The drama was ignited last week on Monday, September 9, when the street-wise singer was seen in a viral video slapping a man of God who had gone to preach at his bar in the Sango area of Ogun State.

The incident generated a lot of criticism from Nigerians including fellow pastors with some giving Portable an ultimatum to apologize or face their wrath.

In an apparent turn around, the street-pop Monday, tendered an apology and begged for forgiveness from the pastor and Nigerians in general.

Making the apology in a video the singer explained that he attacked the preacher because he thought he was there to cause him spiritual harm.

While begging God for forgiveness, Portable said:

“My fans, community issues are different from that of the street. May God forgive me. I didn’t know he was a genuine man of God. If I knew I wouldn’t have slapped him.

“I’m also a child of God. I’m human, I’m not perfect. I am an orphan. They have harmed my sister through this same strategy,” he said.

Watch the video below:

https://x.com/TeniolaYBNL/status/1835560801693823300

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Culture

World-famous Sierra Leonean ballerina Michaela DePrince dies at 29

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World-famous Sierra Leone-born ballerina, Michaela DePrince, has died at the young age of 29.

A statement released by her family said DePrince who was the principal soloist at Boston Ballet, passed away on Friday.

“With pain in our hearts, we share the loss of star ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince, whose artistry touched countless hearts and whose spirit inspired many, leaving an indelible mark on the world of ballet, and beyond,” the statement said.

“Her life was one defined by grace, purpose, and strength. Her unwavering commitment to her art, her humanitarian efforts, and her courage in overcoming unimaginable challenges will forever inspire us.

“She stood as a beacon of hope for many, showing that no matter the obstacles, beauty and greatness can rise from the darkest of places. Though her time with us was far too brief, her brilliance and legacy will continue to shine in the hearts of all who were touched by her story, for generations to come. Love and prayers go to her chosen family, friends, and those who loved her.”

Born Mabinty Bangura in Kenema, Sierra Leone, in 1995, DePrince lost both parents tragically died in the country’s civil war and was adopted by an American family at the age of four.

In various interactions with the media, DePrince had credited her years in an orphanage, where she found a magazine featuring the photo of a ballerina, as what led her on the path to becoming a professional dancer.

DePrince grew up in an orphanage, where she was cruelly mistreated and mocked for her vitiligo.

“They thought of me as a devil’s child. They told me every day how I wasn’t going to get adopted because nobody would want a devil’s child,” she told the BBC in 2012.

However, she and another girl named Mabinty, who now goes by Mia, were adopted by Elaine and Charles DePrince in New Jersey in 1999.

DePrince became a world star and barrier-breaking ballerina after appearing on “Dancing With the Stars” and in Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” film when she was just 17.

After fixating on an image of a ballerina in a magazine, DePrince enrolled in ballet school in Philadelphia and performed at the Youth America Grand Prix. She was one of six primary subjects in the 2011 documentary First Position, trained at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of Ballet in New York, and appeared in an episode of Dancing With the Stars the same year.

She went on to join the Dutch National Ballet’s junior company and later became second soloist for the Boston Ballet.

She rose to fame after graduating from high school and made history as the youngest principal dancer at the Dance Theatre of Harlem.

A dedicated humanitarian, DePrince also advocated for children affected by conflict and violence.

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