More than a week after music composer Santhosh Narayanan alleged that music label Maajja has not remunerated Arivu, Dhee and himself for their viral song ‘Enjoy Enjaami,’ Noel Kirthiraj, the CEO of Maajja, has responded to the allegations.
In a statement to the press, Noel said that the label vehemently refutes the “false and damaging allegations aimed at tarnishing reputation” and that the label stands by its commitment to indie artists and indie music.
“There was never a question of us not fulfilling our commitments or keeping any revenue away from artists. However, contrary to what we were led to believe, there is no consensus around the contribution to the song among the artists involved. Additionally, per contractual obligations of the artists, we haven’t received any disclosure or statements outlining direct engagements and revenues collected, despite our repeated requests, further complicating the resolution process,” read the statement.
“Nevertheless, it’s worth noting two of the artists involved have received advances, in addition to maajja incurring significant expenses on their behalf. We recognize the importance of swiftly and fairly resolving this issue for all parties involved. Given the recent slanderous allegations, we will be addressing them through the appropriate channels,” the statement added.
Last Tuesday, on the third-year anniversary of the hit song ‘Enjoy Enjaami,’ Santhosh posted on social media that Arivu, Dhee and himself have not been remunerated by Maajja though the music label approached them promising 100 per cent of the rights, revenues and royalties from the song. He added that their efforts to get a response from the label have failed.
The post created a stir on social media last week since Maajja is a record label co-founded by veteran music composer AR Rahman. On Wednesday, Santhosh released another statement to clarify that Rahman has been “a pillar of support without any expectations through the entire Maajja fiasco,” and that the Oscar-winner is “also a victim of false promises and malice.”
“Many indie artists including Arivu, Svdp, Dhee and many others including myself have also never been remitted our revenues in any form and have been bullied with emails. I understand that emotions are high and would urge you all to support the indie artists at this juncture,” said Santhosh in that statement, adding that he would also be issuing clarifications on the controversy that had erupted in 2021 due to the alleged sidelining of rapper Arivu from the success of ‘Enjoy Enjaami’ and ‘Neeye Oli’
‘Enjoy Enjaami’, released in 2021, is a Tamil hip-hop song that incorporates elements of R&B and the Tamil folk music style, Oppari. The track was written and sung by lyricist Arivu along with Dhee and had music composed and arranged by Santhosh. As of now, the track has cumulatively garnered over a billion streams across multiple paltforms.
Published - March 14, 2024 02:37 pm IST
