PRESS RELEASE
It all started when we were in Paris for the Olympic Games in July 2024. Garvin Richards was our Press Attache, and I have been on record on numerous occasions complimenting his very efficient work. We decided to prepare some videos using Dominican music to mobilize, motivate, and inspire our athletes and every Dominican as we prepared for an all-out assault to obtain Dominica’s first Olympic medal. So, he used music from WCK, Triple K, Signal Band, Asa Banton, and Exctasy.
He also used a song “Ai Dominique” originally sung by Ophelia Marie, but he used a version of the song from the album “Interpretations” produced by Cornel Phillip. That album was produced in 2008 by Cornel and received the blessings of both Mark and Ophelia. All the bands permitted us to use their music because, according to them, it was to promote Dominica. Garvin, in the same light, reached out to Cornel for permission, as he was using Cornel’s version of the song.
Two days after, we received an email from Mark Marie acting on behalf of Ophelia, requesting compensation of $15 Thousand EC for infringing copyright regulations.
I called Mark from Paris and explained to him that Garvin had sought and obtained permission from Cornel. To exercise an abundance of caution, we immediately withdrew the video from circulation after receiving the letter. We agreed to meet on our return to DA.
On our return, we convened a meeting at my office at the HQ of the DOC, on the 18th of September 2024, with Mark Marie, our Sec/ Gen, Mrs. Fenella Wenham Sheppard, our Chef Woody Lawrence, Brendon Williams, our Athletes Rep, Garvin, and me. We went to great lengths and pain to again explain to Mark that if we also had to obtain permission from him and Ophelia, it was a genuine mistake, as Garvin had sought permission from Cornel, as he used Cornel’s version of the song, and our actions caused no distortion or mutilation of their work. We informed him that we did not attempt to seek any commercial gain from the video, and we were pleased that the music we used had the desired effect of inspiring our athletes, as we went on to win our first-ever Olympic medal with Thea Lafond Gadson taking home gold, in my opinion, the greatest achievement by a Dominican in our illustrious history.
At that meeting, Mark went on to make a very disconcerting statement. He said, and I quote, “Cornel tief Ophelia song, he tief Ophelia money, and he is a big vollez”. These were his exact words. He also asked us to serve as witnesses against Cornel, a request that we immediately rejected. It was then that we realized that he had major issues with Cornel, and I told him in no uncertain manner, please do not use the DOC to fight his battle with Cornel… ” We wanted no part in that. We concluded the meeting convinced that this was the end of the matter but Lo and Behold on Dec 24th last year an entire 15 months later, on Christmas eve, when everyone was preparing to celebrate the birth of Christ and people were reconciling with each other, I received another letter from Mark asking us to pay, not $15 thousand as was originally demanded from them, but $80 thousand EC for the breach and about 3 weeks after we received the court documents that Garvin, Myself and the DOC were being taken to court in an attempt for us to pay Mark and Ophelia Marie $80 Thousand.
Now Ophelia and I are very close, we are very good friends, I consider her a Dominican Icon, someone who Dominicans have embraced, and I could not believe that Mark and Ophelia, an individual who was conferred the title of Goodwill Ambassador and the recipient of the Sisserou Award of Honor, would combine to take that action against the Dominican people. When I celebrated my 50th anniversary as a member of the Dominica Cricket Umpires Association last year, she sent me a congratulatory message complimenting me for the work I had done in serving DA. We are that close. Their action is not only against Garvin, or Billy, or the DOC, but against all the young athletes we are assisting in fulfilling their potential and ambitions in the field of Sports. It is also against those very Dominicans who have supported her throughout her entire career.
Gordon Henderson, whom I consider the Godfather of Dominican music, informed us that he was the one who introduced Mark to music copyright. He was also part of our activities and celebrations in Paris and even spoke at one of our private functions. On more than one occasion, he has advised Mark to withdraw those charges, but to no avail.
I still cannot believe that kind of behavior comes from people whom I held in such high esteem and regard. As I told Ophelia, we have so much of a very close relationship. If I personally or the organization that I lead had done something wrong, all she had to do was give me a call, and this matter could have been rectified almost immediately.
I have never been so upset in my life, because I consider their actions shameful and despicable, and I am furious, but I am still hopeful that someone out there will be able to reach out to them and convince them that their actions are immensely distasteful to say the least. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the many people who have contacted me to express their total dismay and disgust at Mark and Ophelia’s actions. (Lust for money and hate of certain individuals can cause people to show their ugly side)………….. I take this matter very seriously and for Ophelia to take such punitive measures against our Dominican athletes, at an Olympic Games where we used her song and other Dominican music to inspire our athletes at an event where we won our first ever Olympic medal, and we won GOLD, to take that action is very deplorable and disgusting and I genuinely wonder how they can ever face the Dominican public in the future with any degree of sincerity.
We have had to obtain legal Counsel….If we go to court, there will be other revelations to be made.
The DOC had taken the decision to keep this matter under wraps, but now it is evident that Mark and Ophelia Marie are determined to carry out their threat to take us to court, against the better judgment of most people. We now need to let the people know the details of the circumstances.