Encomium
– I never sued Harrysong, not to talk of settled out of court – KEVIN LUCIANO
– WE’VE SETTLED OUT OF COURT SIX MONTHS AGO – Harrysong
Performing Musician Association of Nigeria (PMAN) interim President, Kevin Luciano has responded to the stories being peddled around that his Questionmark Entertainment record label has filed a N20 million suit against KCEE’s Five Star Music. In a phone chat with ENCOMIUM Weekly on Saturday, March 1, 2014, Luciano denied the news, saying there is nothing like that.
According to him, “I have been receiving calls and sms from journalists, asking me if truly I have sued KCEE over Harrysong. Let me state it here that the story is not true. I don’t have issue with them, not to talk of filing a suit worth N20 m against them.”
When asked where the story is coming, he said, “Honestly, I don’t know.”
Several journals (Encomium, not included) and blogs published the story last week. The suit was reportedly filed against one of the hottest singers, Harrysong for allegedly breaching his contract with QuestionMark, and against Five Star Music for entering into a new contract with Harrysong despite knowing that he was yet to serve out his contract with his former label.
According to a statement said to have been signed by Luciano, “QuestionMark Entertainment was into separate exclusive music recording, artiste management and music publishing contracts with Harrysong in 2009. The obligations of parties to the said contracts have neither lapsed nor have they been fulfilled. The contracts, along with all attendant rights and liabilities of the parties thereto, therefore still subsist since the contract was supposed to last for five years.”
Luciano, while speaking with ENCOMIUM Weekly, disassociated himself with the statement attributed to him, stressing that, “I have not spoken with any medium about the issue, not to talk of sending press release. I don’t know where they got the release they quoted, but not from me, or my record label. It’s a cooked-up story I want the general public not to believe it.”
All efforts to speak with KCEE or Harrysong proved abortive. But the song-writer, who is at the centre of the storm, spoke with a daily newspaper on Friday, February 28, 2014, where he claimed they settled out of court six months ago, adding, “I guess someone just dug this out of nowhere. Because the brand is now big, people would want to talk about and read anything about it. Even people whom I have done songs with in the past are just releasing them now.”
However, the Questionmark boss insisted there was no time he sued his erstwhile artiste for contractual breach, not to talk of seeking for out of court settlement.
He said, “There was never a time I had issues with them (Harry song and KCEE). My relationship with them is very good, even when Presh was still with them. Honestly, I don’t have issues with them. We are good friends, that’s what I can say for now.”
With these denials and counter denials, the mind-boggling question now is, who can we believe – the media, Kevin Luciano or Harrysong? Only time will tell.
– RASHEED ABUBAKAR
