Two chutney music promoters are locked in a legal battle over this year’s Chutney Soca Monarch competition.
The National Chutney Foundation of T&T (NCFTT), an incorporated organisation representing chutney artistes and responsible for the international marketing of the genre, is seeking an injunction to stop the finals scheduled for next Sunday at Skinner Park, San Fernando.
The matter came up for hearing in Port-of-Spain High Court yesterday. Representatives of the NCFTT and event’s promoter George Singh of Southex Event Management Company Ltd sat at opposing ends of the courtroom.
During the hearing, presiding Judge Andre des Vignes gave instructions to lawyers for both organisations to file submissions and witness statement related to the claim.
Des Vignes advised the lawyers to file extensive submissions before the next hearing to ensure the issue is rectified expeditiously.
“I hope you don’t have any plans. Just remember the event is on the 31st,” Des Vignes said, as he jokingly suggested that they take the entire weekend to complete the task he set.
Speaking with the media after the hearing Singh’s lawyer Faris Al-Rawi said the lawsuit was doomed to fail.
“These are two independent entities. Our client has a long and well established track record in this industry. Chutney is an artistic form in T&T and nobody has ownership over that,” Al-Rawi said.
The organisation initially attempted to stop the semi-finals of the competition last Saturday but were hampered by a major blunder, albeit not their own, as the person who prepared the case was not qualified to practice.
Des Vignes stated that he planned to report the person to the Disciplinary Committee of the Law Association.
The NCFTT is being represented by Angela Renaud-Lewis and Temi Ade-John, while Dharmendra Punwasee is leading Al-Rawi in the case. The case has been adjourned to next Wednesday.
ABOUT THE CASE
The NCFTT and its president Vijay Ramlal-Rai are suing the Singh for allegedly breaching the Protection from Unfair Competition Act by copying “fundamental” aspects of the NCFTT’s annual Chutney Monarch competition
The NCFTT, which was incorporated in 1994, is claiming that Singh copied their competition, usually held outside Carnival season in May, when his organisation added a traditional chutney category into their chutney soca competition this year.
Singh, whose company has been hosting its competition since 1996, has denied the allegations.