Kwame Mickey reaches confidential agreement with Team Eternity over ‘Defe Defe'

Ghanaian music producer, Kwame Mickey, has announced the resolution of the issue regarding Team Eternity Ghana's use of the 'Defe Defe' lyrics in their new song.

A statement released by Kwame Mickey through his OFM company states that “the issue that arose concerning Team Eternity Ghana’s use of a portion of the existing song titled ‘Defe Defe’ in their new song, also titled ‘Defe Defe,’ has been amicably resolved.”

“The parties have duly entered into a Licence Agreement under which Kwame Mickey grants Team Eternity Ghana the non-exclusive right to use in the new song those words derived from the existing song,” it further states.

Kwame Mickey, the executive producer for Hallelujah Voices’ ‘Defe Defe’, alleged a few weeks ago that Team Eternity Ghana had infringed on his copyright by using the ‘defe defe’ line for their new hit song.

He wrote: “Who is that Defe Defe singer? If I start right now, they will say I am 'mansonia'. What is the difference between the two songs? Somebody tell her to report and do the needful. That’s all.”

He proceeded to write to YouTube to disable the visibility of Team Eternity's 'Defe Defe' on the platform until they sorted out copyright issues with him.

This generated debates on social media. While some assert that ‘Defe Defe’ is not an expression created by Hallelujah Voices, and therefore cannot be claimed by them, others say there are similarities in the lyrics.

Hallelujah Voices sing “manhyia Nyame a anka ?bonsam ay? me defe defe,” and Team Eternity sing “manhyia Nyame a anka y’ay? me defe defe.”

‘Defe defe' in Twi is an adverb used to describe the gravity of an unpleasant situation. Other synonyms for ‘defe defe’ are ‘pasa pasa’, and ‘basa basa’.

Although structurally, the rhythmic patterns and melodic phrases of the two lines are different, Kwame Mickey is making a case for the similarities in the lyrical content.

The ‘Defe Defe' song performed by Hallelujah Voices was written by Osuani Afrifa and executively produced by Kwame Mickey for Kaakyire Music Productions. It was released in 2004.

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