The Cameroonian entertainment industry has recently been embroiled in controversy surrounding the unauthorized distribution of the remix of “Viviane,” a song by Prince Aimé.
The remix, featuring Maahlox Le Vibeur, Magasco, Lili Anoma, and Thérapie, was officially released on November 4, 2024, and quickly gained significant attention, amassing over 2 million views within 14 hours on Prince Aimé’s official YouTube channel.
Amidst this success, allegations emerged against comedian and content creator, Cyprian Egomang Tayong, known popularly as Old Pancho Cy International, accusing him of uploading the “Viviane” remix to his YouTube channel without proper authorization.
Critics labelled this act as theft, especially given Cy’s prominent role in promoting the 80-20 campaign, which advocates for the consumption of 80 percent local and 20 percent foreign entertainment content in Cameroon.
There’s been serious dragging on social media with accusations mounting on him copying the product of blind man. Many call him a thief.
“Cy Old Pancho has been identified as one of the people who tried to reap off Prince Aime, he re-uploaded the video of Prince Aime when it dropped, on his YouTube channel and diverted attention, views and revenue to his account/channel when everyone was working hard to give visibility to the main Prince Aime account.
“However, copyright laws and fans caught up with his attempts to swindle and reap off. The video has now been taken down, wax Dey and team are working tirelessly to take down accounts of people who are maliciously trying to destroy this great thing fans are building for Prince Aime,” Blogger, Clement Toh, alarmed on Facebook.
In response to the backlash, Cy refuted the allegations, stating that his intention was merely to promote Cameroonian music.
He emphasized that his actions were aimed at supporting local artists and increasing the song’s visibility.
Subsequently, Cy removed the unauthorized upload from his channel and began sharing the official version from Prince Aimé’s YouTube page.
“I never uploaded Prince Aime’s song on my YouTube page. I simply shared the link to his own page so many people can follow. It was my own bit to make sure the song goes viral. People whom I stopped their misdeeds in the past, in the entertainment industry, are not using this issue to get back at me,” Cy International said.
More evidence was provided to prove that Cy uploaded the song on his YouTube channel.
They indicated he was smart to quickly take down the post and instead began sharing that of the artist, Prince Aime.
The issue of unauthorized uploads extends beyond this incident.
Following the Viviane remix’s release, several unauthorized versions appeared on various platforms, potentially diverting views and revenue from the official release.
This proliferation of unlicensed content underscores the challenges artists face in protecting their intellectual property in the digital age.
On February 19 this year, Old Pancho Cy International said he would quit promoting music, attributing the move to “ingratitude” from some Cameroonian artists.
“This is something that I have been crying for 10 years, but none of the people that are the most beneficiaries of this 80-20 have ever made a statement, that is, the artists,” he told MMI over a telephone interview.
CY International said DJs and bloggers should now oblige artists to pay for their music to get promoted.
He also clarified that encouraging DJs and bloggers to promote content of their choice does not negate the broader 80-20 campaign.
He said he would focus only on promoting other aspects of Cameroonian entertainment such as home videos and comedy but not music.
Many wonder why he suddenly changed his mind up to the level of uploading Prince Aime’s song without the following the due procedure.
