Trinidad’s Patrice Roberts ordered to pay over US$25K after losing breach of contract case

Trinidad and Tobago: Patrice Roberts, Trinidad and Tobago’s rising Soca star, was recently told to pay US$25,104.12 in damages by the country’s High Court to a Canadian entertainment company. This order followed a breach of contract lawsuit against the artist by the Ontario-based company.

High Court Judge Robin Mohammed ruled that the company, Soca Bookings Incorporated, will be paid for managing Roberts’ career for a short time.

The judge determined that Roberts is entitled to pay $35,472  to cover the management as well as the advanced cash payments made by the company on behalf of Roberts. This includes payments for studio time and video shoots.

It was further stated that the company owed Roberts US$10,367.88. This money is from digital music sales during the time Soca Bookings Incorporated managed her career. The  judge allowed Roberts to offset what she is owed against what she must pay, as both the parties owed each other.

The case revolves around a verbal agreement signed between the two parties at the Trinidad Hilton Hotel in 2015. As per the agreement, the company had to manage Roberts and would get a 20% share of her live performance, which earned her over $10,000 and 15% on performances which was less than $10,000.

The agreement had a term that payment of fees would only take place once the business was profitable. Roberts broke off the agreement via email in 2017, leading to a legal lawsuit by the company against her for unpaid fees and expenses.

This lawsuit included US$22,535 in management fees and US$23,900 in cash advances made for recording sessions with international producers and for music videos.

Roberts refuted the claims and also put in her own request for payment of digital music royalties. The court determined after several hearings that a valid contract existed between them and that each party financially had financial obligations.