Kes the Band no longer wishes to pursue legal action against anyone for use of their song 'Hello'.
The band issued a statement via its website today stating that they do not intend to take legal action against Apple, Remi Wolf or Island Records.
On Wednesday, KTB's management team, Evan Vogel and Damon DeGraff signalled via a statement to Loop News, that they intended to take legal action based on the similarity of Remi Wolf's song 'Hello, Hello, Hello' to the band's 2017/18 hit 'Hello'.
Remi Wolf's song was used in an iPhone 12 online ad, which drew the attention of Kes the Band.
The band is stating today that they will not pursue legal action.
"Our fans recently alerted us to a new Apple iPhone TV commercial featuring the song 'Hello Hello Hello' by Remi Wolf. Many noted that the song’s chorus resembles that of our own track 'Hello', which we first released in 2017," the band said.
"While we too have noted the similarity, we do not intend to take legal action against Apple, Remi Wolf or Island Records."
KTB said, however, they wish to use this moment to call attention to the global resonance of soca music.
"From calypso to steelpan to today’s soca, the music of Trinidad and Tobago has long been a source of inspiration for artistes, songwriters and producers in the broader music world. While borrowers of our cultural capital have sometimes credited the original sources, in many instances they have not. Similarly, interpretations of our music have often gained access to promotion and corporate investment that is simply not afforded to our own local musicians, producers and songwriters," the band said.
"It is our hope that people from all over the world will recognise the soca/calypso genre as the treasure that it is and, when they hear aspects and elements of it in music from other places, understand and appreciate where the influences come from. We will always fight for the genre, and the music of Trinidad and Tobago."
KTB's 'Hello' was released for Carnival 2018 on the Folklore Riddim produced by Advokit Productions. The band released a live version of the song on its recent album 'We Home'.