Nile Rodgers has asked the Swiss People's Party (SVP) to stop using a ‘soundalike' version of ‘We Are Family', which he wrote and produced for Sister Sledge in 1979.
The right-wing party released a campaign video Monday titled “Das Isch d'SVP,” whose chorus reportedly uses the same tune as Rodgers' 1970s hit.
The music video, which featured several SVP members dancing to the tune, was quickly removed from YouTube after Sony Music claimed it violated copyright.
Speaking on X (formerly Twitter), Rodgers said, “I wrote ‘We Are Family' to be the ultimate song about inclusion and diversity at all levels, regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion or sexual orientation.”
“I condemn its use by the SVP (Swiss People's Party) or anyone else who does not adhere to the values of the song and all decent people.” The purpose of the song is to bring joy to everyone, without exclusion!”
The Independent asked the SVP for an opinion.
Thomas Matter, an SVP delegate who is believed to be the artist behind the song under the pseudonym DJ Tommy, told the Swiss tabloid View that the campaign anthem had nothing to do with “We Are Family”.
“I know the Sister Sledge song, that's a great song too,” Matter said. “But ‘Das Isch d'SVP' was written specifically for this project and has nothing to do with ‘We Are Family'.”
“Of course there are a million songs in popular music that sound the same, there's nothing surprising or new about that,” he added.
The guard reports that in a previous profile of the politician, a Swiss magazine noted that “We Are Family” is the ringtone on his mobile phone.
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The SVP, the country's largest political party, values Eurosceptic and anti-immigrant policies and has repeatedly been accused of demonizing Islam.
In 2017, Switzerland's highest court ruled that the SVP had violated anti-racism laws with a controversial campaign slogan that read: “Kosovars cut up the Swiss”.
Rodgers is now known for both his political engagement and his music; As a teenager, he was a subdivision chief of New York's Black Panther Party.
In a similar order is the production company behind Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's recent film Aircondemned the Trump campaign for using her work in fundraising videos earlier in the year.
