Chiara criticises record company

Chiara, winner of the 1998 Malta Song Festival, yesterday claimed that German record company Cap Sounds had not honoured the majority of conditions in her contract, which included the production of a CD.

She was speaking at the launch of her third album, called 'Covering Diversions'.

Her comments follow hot on the heels of Ira Losco's criticism of the company, who, she claimed, were not keeping her informed about plans for her future. Ira's comments prompted the record company to release her from her contract last Tuesday.

Chiara had also sought, and obtained, release from Cap Sounds after she engaged lawyers to examine the conditions of her contract following the record company's unwillingness to support a proposed UK tour.

Massimo Ellul of M&E management, who is managing Chiara, said the singer had to sign up with Cap Sounds after winning the Malta Song Festival, even though she had been advised that some of the conditions were not normally contained within such contracts.

Chiara would not have been able to represent Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest had she refused to sign the contract and the option would have been given to the artiste who placed second.

Cap Sounds has signed up Malta's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest since 1996.

Chiara said that although she had gone on the UK tour, she had not been backed by the record company, which was supposed to represent her. Big organisations such as Pinnacle had wanted to produce Chiara's CD but she could not take up their offers as she was still tied to Cap Sounds.

She claimed that Cap Sounds had even failed to pay her any royalties because they said she had not sold enough records abroad, but then failed to return to her the unsold CDs.

Chiara said her complaints to the authorities about Cap Sounds had gone unheeded.

Cap Sounds could not be reached by telephone but were asked for their reaction to Chiara's comments by fax.