Tumi Ebow Ansa says he never got credit for writing songs for Osibisa

Legendary Ghanaian musician and actor, Tumi Ebow Ansa has recently revealed that he has never been credited for the songs he wrote for the popular Ghanaian-British Afro-rock band, the Osibisa band.

According to him, he is the original composer of ‘Welcome Home’, a well known song by the band, as well as four other songs released by the Afro-rock band but has never been credited for his works.

The veteran singer, while speaking in a candid interview with Mutombo the Poet on the ‘If More, Let’s Divide’ disclosed that working with the Osibisa band was an experience he usually does not feel comfortable to talk about.

“You know, Osibisa is an area that I really don’t feel comfortable. Because I was in an experience that I had never seen before. I was young, I was very eager, I was free because I was on TV, films and the music too so when Osibisa came and out of the blue picked me up and took me to Tunisia, it was an adventure. I thought, fine. But we didn’t have a song between us. When we arrived there we had to go for an audition. It was my song that we rehearsed quickly to go and get a job,” he said.

Tumi Ansa further disclosed that he wrote songs like ‘Welcome Home’, ‘Woyaya’, ‘Oranges’, and ‘The Dawn.’ He also averred that he was playing with his band called Afro Deity before Osibisa came for him, but he didn’t know they had an ulterior motive for recruiting him into the band.

“I didn’t know they had this ulterior mind to credit themselves with my music. But I was not able to tell. The first time I was asked I felt a bit uneasy but it’s alright. They’ve done their thing and they are gone. But to be asked about them, that hurts…hurts so much. How can you take somebody’s music and credit it to yourself and make so much money with it and you don’t give a damn?” he explained. 

However, speaking with Jacqueline Ansomah Yeboah on Joy News, Rex Omar asserted that Tumi Ebow Ansah would have to prove that he really wrote those songs to be able to claim ownership of it.

“This is the first time I am hearing this. I know Tumi. I know the songs you are talking about but the question is that if he is the original composer where is the evidence? Does he have anything to prove? Because this song has been in existence for quite a long time. 

And if Osibisa recorded this song for more than 50 years ago and it’s been played all over the world, they have been touring with it, they have perhaps registered registered it in their name and has have been ‘chopping’ the royalties, so for him to wait all this while to come and say this right now unless he has a proven evidence it will be difficult,” he said.

Asked if Tumi Ebow Ansah can reclaim his rights if he provides evidence, Rex said “then he has to go through some legal issues to claim the rights. I find it difficult how someone can write five songs for a group, without the credit being given to him and he keeps quiet all these years. I mean it is very difficult.”