Add YMCA hitmakers the Village People to the ever-growing list of people infuriated by Donald Trump.
Jonathan Belolo, the son of Village People founding member Henri Belolo, slammed what he said was the US president’s ‘illicit appropriation’ of the band’s song in campaign videos.
People were bewildered by a bizarre compilation video, tweeted by the commander-in-chief on election day, which featured him dancing to the 1978 hit.
Jonathan, who is president of YMCA rights holders Scorpio Music, said: ‘The beneficiaries of (band co-founders) Messrs Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo, like the company Scorpio Music, owner of the work, discovered with amazement this illicit appropriation, which is more for partisan and electoral purposes of Donald Trump, which they would never have accepted.
‘This infringing use of the YMCA work will therefore be the subject of a complaint in the next few days, both in France and in the United States, against any initiator or accomplice of what constitutes outright theft of the property of others.
‘As of now, they are banning anyone from disseminating the contentious video in question without their authorisation.’
Henri died last year at the age of 82.
It looks like the Trump’s stay at the YMCA will be cut short, and this wasn’t the first time he’s used the tune—or faced an eviction notice from the song’s owners.
Village People singer Victor Willis previously stated the group’s opposition to the Republican, who is still waiting to hear if he has been elected for a second term in the White House.
Speaking to the BBC last month, Victor said: ‘I like hearing music at all times and I like the fact that fans of all kinds, Democrats or Republicans, they all like YMCA and that is something that is pleasing to me.
‘As far as endorsing Trump, I don’t endorse Trump, I’ve never endorsed Trump, nor has Village People.
‘We have even asked him basically to stop even playing our music at his rallies.’
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