Rwandan singer Marina on Tuesday, April 1, issued a statement addressing the recent controversy surrounding her decision to get her collaboration song with up and coming artiste Yampano deleted. It came after weeks of speculations around the two artistes' fallout which led YouTube to take down ‘Urwagahararo’ which features the two artistes. Marina, in a statement, slammed Yampano of lack of “professionalism,” claiming that the song’s release “significantly deviated” from their “mutual agreement”. “In this instance, a collaboration was initiated with a clear understanding and agreement regarding the song's final product and release. However, the song was ultimately released in a form that significantly deviated from our mutual agreement,” she said in a statement released on Tuesday, April 1. She explained that, while she is always open to working with other artists, especially “emerging talents”, the final release of Urwagahararo did not align with their agreed terms. “As an artist who values my work and upholds a certain standard of professionalism, I found it necessary to take action to protect my artistic integrity. Consequently, I requested the removal of the song from YouTube,” Marina stated. ALSO READ: Singer Marina talks collabos, fresh chapter Yampano had initially added “Urwagahararo” to his latest three-track EP “Black Love.” He also uploaded the audio version of the song on various streaming platforms, including YouTube. The song, however, lasted only a few days but Marina decided getting it deleted, arguing that he released it without her consent. Marina was supposed to receive only 10 per cent of the song’s revenue, while Yampano would take 90 per cent, as he was responsible for the majority of the project’s execution. ALSO READ: Singer Yampano talks career breakthrough, aspirations for 2025 Yampano, on the other hand, expressed disappointment over Marina’s decision to have the song deleted, stating that he had long planned the collaboration. In an interview with Inyarwanda, he admitted that he had received a message from YouTube confirming the removal of the track due to Marina’s complaint. However, he remained unfazed by the incident, asserting that what mattered most to him was presenting his collaboration with Marina to their audience. “I decided to upload it on YouTube because I thought that by April, it would have earned money to make a video for it. Marina had asked for only 10% of the revenue, while I would keep 90% because I handled most of the work,” Yampano explained. After the video was deleted, Yampano re-uploaded the song without Marina’s vocals and instead added random visuals to keep the track alive for his fans. A leaked audio clip circulating on social media has also mixed more discussion, in which Yampano is heard pleading with Marina to collaborate on a song. Marina appears to give a positive response, reinforcing that their partnership was initially friendly before it turned sour. The song, written two years ago, had already gained attention when Yampano shared a snippet of it on social media last year. He believed it would be well received due to its relatable message about reconciliation between a young man and woman. ALSO READ: Media owners threaten to stop playing local music amid royalties saga A common trend in the Rwandan music industry? Rwandan artistes often collaborate and maintain strong professional relationships, however conflicts over agreements, revenue sharing, and intellectual property rights sometimes lead to disputes and even the end of friendships. The Marina-Yampano saga is a clear example of how disagreements over execution and communication can escalate, affecting both artists' careers and their public image. Despite the controversy, Marina maintains that her decision was purely based on professionalism and her artistic standards. “I want to emphasize that this decision was not made lightly. It was based solely on the need to ensure that my collaborations align with my professional standards and the agreements made. I remain committed to fostering a collaborative spirit within the music industry and supporting emerging talent. However, I cannot compromise my career or artistic vision due to unprofessional conduct,” she noted. “I believe in transparency and fairness. I hope this clarifies the situation. Thank you for your continued support and understanding,” she added. Yampano shows remorse Marina released the statement clarifying why she got the sing deleted after Yampano had for over a week been slamming her for making such an unfair decision. But after the statement, he came out to show remorse to music diva, emphasizing that things wouldn’t have gone that far. “Marina is an artist that I admire, love and respect and that’s why we recorded a good song together. I never imagined that what happened would reach this far,” he said. What next? It remains unclear whether Marina accepted Yampano's apologies to the point that she could reconsider her decision to get their collaboration deleted. But sources close to the two artistes have told The New Times that Yampano has approached Marina on the next steps to get the song reuploaded as earlier agreed.
