Popular musician Joseph Onyango Ochieng’, popularly known as Onyi Jalamo, in an interview with MKN news opened up on a number of controversies surrounding songs he composed for then Jubilee Candidate McDonald Mariga and ODM’s Bernard Okoth, alias Imran.
According to Onyi, he had no qualms composing a song to the Jubilee candidate since it is part of his work.
Onyi, who gained his popularity during the 2017 campaigns, also revealed that Imran never paid him a penny for the song he composed for his campaigns.
According to the artist, he sent a demo to the ODM candidate for analysis and was shocked to hear it played at political rallies.
Frantic efforts to seek payment turned futile and the artist, he says, was forced to use the money he received from Mariga’s settle the studio charges.
“Imran gave me a job to record a song for him and that I will be paid. So I recorded a sample and sent it to him to listen.
“All of sudden I heard the song being played at his rally and until then I had not been paid. I accumulated debts from the recording.
“I was under pressure and in fact, the payment I received from Mariga is what sorted the studio Production cost for Imran’s song. And that is why I never appeared in Imran’s campaigns,” said Onyi.
In addition, the ‘Nasa Tibim’ hitmaker declared that he will not take sides in composing campaign songs and pledged to work with anyone who will meet his terms and conditions of service.
He faulted some politicians for taking artists for granted during their campaigns and also revealed that the Nasa song never paid him well despite the song going viral.
“What I want is money. Whether you have stolen or not that is my concern.
“So if you come and want us to do musical business, I dont care about your political allegiance. I will not eat loyalty or pay my bills by taking sides. What I need is money,” he added.
The Nasa Tibim hitmaker shocked many after he composed a song to Jubilee candidate, despite being perceived to be an ODM diehard.
The artist was also part of Mariga’s campaign rallies in Kibra where he performed the song dubbed Mariga Pod pek.
All in all, the Jubilee candidate lost to Imran.