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SINGAPORE: An Indian composer who claimed to have written the song We Can Achieve, which is almost identical to the national song Count on Me, Singapore, has withdrawn his claims and apologized for the “confusion caused”, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) said on Sunday (March 21).
Joseph Mendoza previously claimed that he composed We Can Achieve in 1983, three years before the creation of Count on Me, Singapore, after images of a performance by the former went viral.
The lyrics of We Can Achieve are the same as Count on Me, Singapore, apart from the substitution of “India” or “Mother India” for “Singapore” and a slight difference in one of the verses.
Mendoza, who goes by the name Joey Mendoza, claimed that evidence to support his claims, such as cassettes and written documents, was destroyed in the Mumbai floods in 2005.
The Singapore government owns the copyright to the music and lyrics of Count on Me, Singapore, which was composed by Canadian Hugh Harrison and arranged by Singaporean jazz veteran Jeremy Monteiro for National Day celebrations in 1986. MCCY described Mr. Mendoza’s claim as an “affront” to this.
“MCCY pressured Mr. Joey Mendoza to substantiate his claims that he composed We Can Achieve in 1983. We take this very seriously, as Mr. Mendoza’s claim is a direct affront to our ownership of Count on Me, Singapore, ”the ministry said in a statement posted on its Facebook page.
“Contemporary evidence and first-hand accounts, such as those of Mr. Jeremy Monteiro, support that Mr. Hugh Harrison wrote Count on Me, Singapore in 1986.”
Checks in India did not produce evidence or records that Mendoza had any rights to We Can Achieve, MCCY said.
The ministry said Mendoza has now changed positions following correspondence with him.
“(Mr. Mendoza) does not in fact have any evidence to support his claim that he had written We Can Achieve in 1983, and he also does not make any claims about the lyrics and melody of (Count on Me, Singapore),” MCCY said.
The Indian composer has “unconditionally and irrevocably” withdrawn any claims on the song, he added.
MCCY said that Mr. Mendoza has informed his associates and networks of this, and has instructed social media platforms to remove versions of We Can Achieve.
In addition to apologizing, Mr. Mendoza has stated “that he has no intention of attacking the integrity or professionalism of Mr. Hugh Harrison.”
“It is important that our rights to the song are protected and that there is no doubt about our origin and ownership of the song,” the ministry said. “MCCY accepts Mr. Mendoza’s apology in the terms set forth above, and will treat the matter as closed, on this basis.”
“BEST FORM OF FLATTERY”
In its initial statement on the matter posted on Facebook on March 12, MCCY said it was aware of “unauthorized versions” of the song circulating online and was “investigating the matter for possible copyright infringements.”
However, the Facebook post was later edited to remove the research mention, while We Can Achieve was described as a “remixed version” of Count on Me, Singapore.
“It may be a copy of our song, but sometimes, imitation is the best form of flattery!” the updated statement read.
In another statement Thursday, MCCY acknowledged the “striking similarity in melody and lyrics” between the two songs, saying that “while Count on Me, Singapore is one of our most beloved national songs, we are also happy that it sounds like having has been highly appreciated in India. “
MCCY also said publisher Pauline India, which produced a CD in 1999 with We Can Achieve, apologized and removed the song from its platforms recognizing its similarities to Count on Me, Singapore.
