Of copy-pasting Copycats

Oscar W-lde once quipped 'Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery' and it appears many in the creative world are eager to flatter, write TONY MOCHAMA and MATILDA NZIOKI

A fortnight ago, an ad featuring a popular thespian and radio presenter hit the airwaves. And got everyone talking. The advertisement was  following hot on the heels of another advert for the same finacial institution featuring a Guinness record breaking Kenyan dancer.

Of memorable ads the financial institution has pioneered, starting with the robotic Lingala dancer, a first in an era when popular culture wasn’t utilised much by the advertising agencies.The earlier ad was wonderful, inspired even!

Plagiarism proper

The stinker with this latest ad, though, is one. It smells of heavy borrowing, by whatever ad company made it. Not only is the idea a template of an old ‘Old Spice’ ad, most of the phrases used in it are copy-pasted straight from the mouth of the hunk in the towel in the ‘Old Spice’ ad.

A copy writer threw in the towel when he saw the naked similarity, pardon the pun, between the two ads, and had this warning to would-be plagiarisers: “In this era of YouTube and Google, it is most foolish to ‘dub’ other people’s stuff, and imagine you’ll never get caught out.”

But the most devastating ‘edict’ on the whole photocopy affair came from a blogger, Thelshuah: “Look at your ad, look at the Old Spice ad, look at your ad again, look at the Old Spice ad again. Look down, in shame, and say you’ll never copy paste ads again. Look at your hand, what is in your hand? That’s right, it’s balling into a fist! Because you know I’m right, you copy cat. Anything is possible if you are creative. Which you are not!”

During the promulgation of the Constitution 280 days ago while most of the selected popular musicians embarrassed themselves by mediocre performances on the greatest day of our nation since Independence, one singer stood out.

Emmy Kosgei shone so much she had our First Lady Lucy Kibaki, who is not exactly famous for her bonhomie, good cheer and camaraderie, on her feet, doing a jig. There was only problem with this scenario. The sound!

Curious Similarities

Yes, the lyrics of Kosgei’s music were perfect, but the ghosts of Brenda Fassie hang all over the bash. Listen to Brenda Fassie’s Vulindela. Then listen to Emma Kosgey’s Taunet Nelel. Do it right now! (Ok, after you finish reading this magazine), and you’ll hear and judge for yourself.

Gospel group MOG really got guys who appreciate originality ticked when they rode high and bagged awards with their song Zing Zing, with which the only effort they put was change words from 2006 hit Just Dance by Jamaican group Voicemail. From the beat to the tune, everything was lifted. Is this how to promote talent locally?

Another weird similarity, which we are not sure where it falls between dubbing and getting inspiration, is in the naming of songs. The pairs Kiasi by Jua Cali and Just a Lil’ Bit by 50 Cent, Vuta Pumz by Longombas and Breath by Fabulous, as well as Piga Makofi by Longombas and Make it Clap by Busta Rhymes were released within months of each other.

Madtraxx is currently hogging airwaves with his classic Skamares, and some of the haters of the track claim he got the idea from a Kenyan in the US.

Let’s not even go to Boomba Clan who have more than once thought Kenyans do not listen far and wide by borrowing from Nigerian Tony Tetuila in the song Do Not Touch My Car and from Swedish group Abba in Does Your Mother Know.

Yet another culprit TID, had his bubble busted when some music connoisseurs slapped him with a critique of the 2007 hit Nyota Yako. He allegedly bootlegged everything apart from the Swahili from Amar Te Assim by Portuguese group Irmãos Verdades.

Kenya is of course the country of the great copycats.

That’s why we have got so many ‘exhibition stalls’, cyber cafés, salons and sports bars that look alike. If someone starts lounge pubs, it quickly becomes the fad. If Muthoni, the Drummer Queen, succeeds with ‘Blankets and Wine,’ then some un-fine folk want to start ‘Shuka na Juice’ (and as someone kidded, in the boondocks, ‘Bench na Busaa.’).

Abroad, the consequences of plagiarism are dire. Everyone thought Madonna had re-discovered her touch of ingenuity with the song and video The Power of Goodbye. In 2005, though, she paid undisclosed millions in settlement to someone who said she’d plagiarised his little known work of genius.

Flattery imitation

Madonna has not quite recovered, and her ‘wannabe’ Lady Gaga is now the monster tsarina of pop rock. Scott Litt, producer of Nirvana, almost never released their monster hit Smells Like Teen Spirit because he thought the guitar licks had a hint of rip off, from The Pixies.

The Pixies gave a release, and Nirvana’s song went on to smash the global rock charts.

It was Oscar Wilde who quipped ‘Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.’

But for most original folk, it is also the most annoying!