Ramsingh Sharma singer says he paid $3,000 for song

Attorney Kevin Ratiram, acting on Maraj’s behalf, stated in response to Rowans’ claim that he is the sole author and creator of the piece for which Maraj shared $650,000 with co-winner Ravi B, that at the offices of the Copyright Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago (COTT) he paid Rowans the sum of money. Maraj admitted in his letter in reply that he did tell Rowans that if he won the Chutney Soca Monarch competition, he would “give your client something”.

However, that statement was made by Maraj in good faith and no sum of money was ever discussed or agreed upon, attorney Ratiram stated on Maraj’s behalf.

Rowans, who holds a BSc degree in music from the United Kingdom, is claiming to be the composer of the song and in a pre-action protocol letter to Maraj, is demanding his share of the royalties and winnings earned. Ratiram stated on Maraj’s behalf that in November 2016, Rowans had sent Maraj a chorus and a verse with melody. However, it contained the phrase “hot cock” and not “village cock” and at the time, Maraj approved of the lyrics and the melody.

He then told Rowans to continue writing more of the song.

In November, Ratiram stated, the composer/ writer gave Maraj the lyrics and chord structure written on white bristol board in which Rowans indicated that it was the finished product.

Maraj, said Ratiram, took about two days to consider the lyrics and decided he did not like “Ramsingh” being portrayed as a drunkard.

He requested Rowans to make changes to that version and to portray “Ramsingh” as less of a drunkard. He said about a week later, Rowans gave Maraj another version and he combined both versions and made changes. Maraj then added lyrics of his own and produced the final version, but minus the portion that was added by Vivekanand “Raymond” Ramnarine and Avenash “Richard” Ramnarine. “It was at this point my client changed ‘Ramsingh Rama’ to ‘Ramsingh Sharma’ and ‘Hot Cock’, to ‘Village Ram’,” Ratiram stated.

The letter accused Rowans of listening to the final product and claiming that it was he who had written the song and presented it to Maraj.

It further started that Maraj and Rowans met at COTT offices on January 17 where the former paid the latter $3,000 which was the agreed sum for his contributing lyrics to the song. “Shortly thereafter, Mr Maraj also told Mr Rowans that if he won the Chutney Soca Monarch competition, he would give your client something. However, that statement was made by him only in good faith, and, no sum was ever discussed or agreed upon. The parties then left the COTT offices,” Ratiram stated in the letter.