Has Childish Gambino sampled Yamoah’s ‘Serwaa Akoto’ on his ‘Happy Survival’ Song?
'Serwa Akoto' by Yamoah was released in the 1960s.
A contentious issue may soon grip the Ghanaian music industry regarding Yamoah‘s Serwa Akoto and Childish Gambino‘s Happy Survival.
‘Happy Survival’ by Childish Gambino is the 16th track featured on his Bando Stone and The New World album, released on July 19th, 2024.
At the heart of this issue is the suspicion that Childish Gambino may have sampled the revered Highlife melody of ‘Serwa Akoto‘ by Yamoah, originally released in the 1960s.
Listen to Serwa Akoto by Yamoah
Yamoah, renowned for his contributions to Highlife music, is celebrated for his musical prowess and the impact of his compositions during the 1960s era of Ghanaian music.
The narrative unfolds with Nigeria’s Eddie Okwedy & his Maymores Dance Band, who in the 1970s, reinterpreted the melody of ‘Serwa Akoto” in their own composition titled ‘Happy Survival’.
Childish Gambino openly acknowledges (in the metadata of the song) Okwedy’s rendition as the primary inspiration for his version of “Happy Survival.”
Listen to Happy Survival by Childish Gambino
However, amidst these acknowledgments lies a complex legal and ethical dilemma: does Glover’s adaptation unwittingly breach the copyright of Yamoah’s original “Serwa Akoto,” considering the melodic parallels evident in Okwedy’s version, knowing well that Yamoah’s original work predates Okwedy’s?
Even if Yamoah gave permission to Eddie Okwedy to sample his work, should Childish Gambino not acknowledge the original composer?
Without instant responses to these, one could immediately tell that Childish Gambino’s rendition, through Eddie Okwedy’s interpretation, indirectly references Yamoah’s composition, potentially infringing upon established copyright laws.
Listen to Happy Survival by Eddie Okwedy
Yamoah, a recognized Ghanaian music legend, is known for songs with melodic richness and lyrical depth, including “Serwa Akoto,” “Comfort Mensu Bio,” “Onantefo,” and “Efunu Di Fo.”
Conversations on this issue could intensify in the coming days, highlighting broader concerns about the complexities of musical sampling, cultural influences, and the safeguarding of artistic integrity, especially regarding financial gain for original composers.
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