Mimesis, cover versions and the commercial vocalists’ dilemma; Sri Lankan perspective

Nanda Malini is a renowned songster, known as the nightingale of the Sri Lankan music industry.

A few years ago, a young boy band who called themselves ‘Promises’ published a cassette mimicking Malini and appropriating a number of her very popular songs. Nanda sought relief from the Courts with the assistance of the authors of the songs i.e. lyricists and composers, for the purpose of making a sustainable case against the perpetrators.

Making cover versions is a significantly contested issue in the Sri Lankan music industry. Although the Sri Lankan commercial music industry in its initial stages was predominantly reliant on covering Indian melodies, the attitude towards cover versions in the contemporary music industry seems to be varied.

The introduction of Performers’ Rights under Sri Lankan Intellectual Property Act was intended to address inter alia this issue of cover versions in the music industry. Accordingly, this article will examine and problematize the various artistic and cultural concerns surrounding cover versions in the Sri Lankan music industry and the impact (or lack of it) of the National Intellectual Property Law on this contemporary issue.