Andre Marie Tala – Hot Koki 1973
This track "Hot Koki" is a lesser known example of plagiarism by an American musician of an originally African tune.
Tala, a well known singer in early 70's, made a demo of this song and passed it to James Brown when he toured Cameroon. Seemingly the Godfather liked it a lot, because he re-recorded it and released it as his own song, the single 'Hustle'. In doing so, he took all credit for composing. Tala got wise and sued Brown, and he actually won the case!
(http://archive.africanhiphop.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=87)
Another well known example of plagiarism plus succesful court case is Michael Jackson's use of a Manu Dibango phrase ('Mamase mamasa mamakosa') in the early 80's.
This track “Hot Koki” is a lesser known example of plagiarism by an American musician of an originally African tune.
Tala, a well known singer in early 70’s, made a demo of this song and passed it to James Brown when he toured Cameroon. Seemingly the Godfather liked it a lot, because he re-recorded it and released it as his own song, the single ‘Hustle’. In doing so, he took all credit for composing. Tala got wise and sued Brown, and he actually won the case!
(http://archive.africanhiphop.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=87)
Another well known example of plagiarism plus succesful court case is Michael Jackson’s use of a Manu Dibango phrase (‘Mamase mamasa mamakosa’) in the early 80’s.
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I LOVE THIS Song! I am so happy to have met him in Cameroon!
chanson plagiee par james brown a l´epoque sous le titre de hustle
Talla is from Cameroon and actually my tutor’s neighbor in Bandjoun, the Western Province of the Country. Something that James Brown didn’t get about the song is that talla in this song, Talla is valuing the “hot Koki” ( a Local meal from the West Cameroon)comparing to their non organic spaghetti or MacDonald’s that make people fat
Hot Koki ouf kelle musique !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Songs like this brings back memories of a childhood spent on the foothills of mount Cameroon. I had a delicious serving of Koki corn only last week at my aunt’s in exotic Dagenham, a million miles from the ancestral home of this dish, San Nzoh where the ethnic Mbo tribe have perfected this staple for a millennia. Tala may be blind but his taste buds betrays his penchant for good food. Bravo Tala
Correct! James Brown’s version ‘hustle’ [plagiary] has been posted on youtube as well.
he’s Cameroonian, not Congolese
Beautiful song. I love u AMT, you value our culture, may you train a lot of people to follow your steps..GOD bless !
Yes – it’s on my channel.
Somebody told me about this – so I came to check it out.
James Brown TOTALLY ripped off this tune. It’s not even as if he adapted it. He just blatantly ripped it off.
Geez!!!! ANOTHER ONE?????? So glad The Godfather’s insanity-period was temporary! I guess when you’re used to being the king of the mountain — and then you’re not — not to mention the I.R.S. breathing down your neck, you panic.
This is amazing lol! As Fred Wesley said, “I thought James Brown was going crazy (in the mid 1970’s), copying people who were copying him”.
You’ll notice his rip-offs of David Bowie, BT Express, and this guy all ocurred in 1975.
I wonder if all of this happened after that third set of J.B’s quit, and he was down on his creative “luck” without them? For awhile, anyway!
The next year he stormed right back with “Get Up Offa That Thing”, and then “Bodyheat”. People forget what a big-selling album “Bodyheat” was.
The African folks have been telling me this guy sued, and won the case against Mr. Brown, for obvious reasons!
I wonder how much James had to pay out. You can betcha it was a lot more money than Mr. Tala made from this original release, since he’s apparently only very well known in West Africa, and never an international star, like Fela Kuit.
But they tell me Mr. Brown MET this guy when he toured Africa, and the fella actually played him this tune of his! Who knows?
Oh, definitely, JB hit his stride again in ’76! I’m pretty hard on artists who have plagiarized (Michael Jackson, for example), but — somehow — it is easy for me to forgive James Brown’s reckless thievery of ’75. He was a man losing his mind for a bit. It might even be the impetus of his drug-use, too.
Ironically, James had no business castigating the various hip-hop artists who ripped off HIS stuff from the 80’s onwards, huh?
Except opf course, when they actually put his VOICE on “their” records, as opposed to just his music. LOL.
Koki is a famous cameroonian recipe, especially in the western part of the country. main ingredients include mashed beans, palm oil, spice, and salt. For more info, google “koki cameroon”. AMT is a blind guitarist and singer. In this song, he is paying tribute to the food calling it “hot koki”. He even claims that hot koki is far better than spaghetti… Despite the plagiarism, JB had the merit of describing a totally different story in his version “hustle”.
“Somebody told me about this – so I came to check it out.”
Someone? who??? it is one of those set in youtube to spy and harass me? You really don’t have anything else to do in your life than following me? Anyway ” comedylaff” told you the truth you deserve to hear to stop your arrogance and correct your small mind thought.
I heard Tala say in an interview that he won the lawsuit but it was only a moral victory since he didn’t get any money…