NO HIDING PLACE:
Nigeria’s multiple Grammy Award Winner, BURNA BOY, Foreign Music Agent sued in Trinidad & Tobago over Conspiracy to illegally stage concert
…Cash money Brothers Promotions file charges in court
*Lawsuit filed in the Port of Spain High Court, additionally names four local and U.S. based promoters and companies
*“Any assertion that, in this instance, we contributed in any way to the planning and/or execution of last night’s event is simply untrue”-Jules Sobion of Caesar’s Army, Defendant
“ We are demanding $25,000 in legal fees and US$7,000 for consultancy services for the concert”-Plaintiff
*BY VIOLET ABRAHAM/SHOWBIZ Correspondent, Trinidad & Tobago/GEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU/AMERICAN Senior Investigative Editor
THESE ARE NOT GOOD TIMES for DANIEL EBUNOLUWA OGULU, a Nigerian born Grammy award-winning afrofusion star, famously known on stage as ‘Burna Boy’, as he has been sued in Trinidad and Tobago for illegally staging a concert outside the business terms of entertainment arrangement for shows in the country. Sued as well are four local and U.S. based promoters and companies at the Port of Spain High Court.
The plaintiff, Cash Money Brothers Promotion, a Trinidad and Tobago company, is demanding the sum of $32,000 ($25,000 in legal fees and US$7,000 for consultancy services for the contract breach of concert.
Burna Boy’s agent, United Talent Agency, is also being sued by Cash Money Brothers for compensation.
The lawsuit, which also names four local and US-based promoters and their companies, was filed in the Port of Spain High Court by attorneys for Cash Money Brothers’ principal, Michael Durham.
The lawsuit alleges the 11-Shawn Moses, of SM Promotions; Jules Sobion of Caesar’s Army; Oita Ugeh of Duke Concept Entertainment and agent for Burna Boy; Christian Bernhardt of United Talent Agency, also Burna Boy’s agent, Crystal Cunningham of Twisted Entertainment Barbados and the artist engaged in a conspiracy by using private information to book the “African Giant” themselves.
However, in a social media post, Caesar’s Army said it was not affiliated with the concert.
“Any assertion that, in this instance, we contributed in any way to the planning and/or execution of last night’s event is simply untrue,” it said.
Durham claims financial loss and ruin as a result of the alleged conspiracy. He also claims the parties willfully stalled his ability to make necessary payments to bring the artist’s Love Damini Tour to Trinidad and also “unfairly and deceitfully” increase the contractual price although a contract had been signed. Test messages between the promoters and Durham were included in the lawsuit filed by Durham’s attorneys Marikia Trim and Farai Hove Maisasai.
The lawsuit alleges the information the others received from Durham was used to “surreptitiously” finagle their way into a new contract to book Damini.
The lawsuit does not quantify the amount of compensation Cash Money Brothers is seeking but it said Durham had already spent $25,000 in legal fees and US$7,000 for consultancy services for the concert.
“The actions of conspiracy among the defendants with the breach of confidence and misuse of private information has caused injury to the claimant’s reputation and caused loss of potential profit and consequential loss. The action of the defendants were deliberate to cheat the claimant out of hosting the Burna Boy concern which has caused embarrassment and shame.”
Friday’s concert came off without a hitch after Durham chose not to file an injunction to stop the event but decided to pursue compensation in court.
In a statement on Friday, Cash Money Brothers said the outfit decided to allow the concert to go on because of the “respect we have for the patrons” who bought tickets.
“We are a caring organisation that put others first and not self.”
However, the promoter said they will be seeking damages in the courts locally and internationally.
Also on Friday, attorneys for Moses said their client was advised to proceed with the hosting of the event even as they – Chase Pegus, Vikash Indar Lal, and Mathias Sylvester remained on standby and ready to resist the “ill-founded and malicious attempt to interrupt Friday’s event.
“As far as we are concerned, despite the desperate threat to halt the much-anticipated concert Cash Money Brothers Promotions and their attorneys have not made good on their threats to approach the court for interim relief.”
On Thursday, Pegus and his team insisted the show will not be stopped.
Friday’s concert was held at O2 Park, Chaguaramas.
Burna Boy’s tour saw him performing in Suriname, Trinidad and Antigua, and Jamaica, this weekend.
He performed in Tobago just before the island’s first Carnival in October.
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