Grammy Award winner Emilio Estefan has been named in a federal lawsuit filed by songwriter Jaime A. Davidson, also known as Gringo Man. According to a 19-page complaint dated April 6, 2026, obtained by World Music Views, the case names multiple defendants, including Emilio Estefan Jr., his company Estefan Enterprises, Los Rabanes (an unincorporated association), Crescent Moon Studios, Inc., The Orchard Enterprises NY, Inc., Sony Music Holdings Inc., and Sony Music Entertainment US Latin LLC.
Davidson who has not retained and lawyer and is representing himself, alleges that his 1992 Spanish-dancehall track Donde Lo Conseguíste was unlawfully copied and incorporated into Los Rabanes’ song Señorita A Mi Me Gusta Su Style, constituting the “copying and commercial exploitation of Plaintiff’s protected musical expression” without “license, credit, or compensation.”
Davidson, born in Panama and migrated to the US, is a pioneer in the Plena Panameña and reggae en español movement along with others like El General Renato, Nando Boom, El Maleante and Chicho Man. As his career was gaining traction in the early 90s, he was convicted and sentence for murder and was pardoned by President Donald Trump in 2019. Among Grongo Man’s first recordings was a Spanish version of Shabba Ranks’ “Trailer Load a Girl” titled “Trailer lleno de guiales,” which became an underground dancefloor hit in the Puerto Rican reggaeton scene.
According to the complaint, the hook from his song Donde Lo Conseguíste functions as the “principal musical identifier” of the Los Rabanes track released in 2000 in “its structure, lyrical framing, and rhythmic placement as the centerpiece hook.”
Defendants Los Rabanes is also a Panamanian band formed in 1992 in Chitré, Herrera with members Emilio Regueira, Christian Torres, Javier Saavedra and Randy Cuevas.
From the late 90s to 2000s the band worked with Emilio Estefan Jr. to produce their singles and albums churning out hits like “Señorita a Mí Me Gusta Su Style” and “Perfidia” under Sony Music Latin. They were the first Central American band to win a Latin Grammy for Best Rock Album. They are pioneers in blending ska, punk, dancehall, reggae, and Caribbean sounds.
Los Rabanes allegedly acknowledged the similarity in phone conversations and in person meetings. The complaint states they admitted the hook was taken from Davidson’s song “as a purported ‘tribute,’” yet “Defendants have never obtained a license… have never credited Plaintiff… and have never paid Plaintiff any royalties.”
Davidson further alleges that Emilio Estefan, as a principal of Estefan Enterprises, “produced, co-produced, supervised, approved, and/or otherwise directed aspects of the creation” of the song, tying him directly to the disputed work.
Señorita A Mi Me Gusta Su Style has ssurpassed 5 million views on YouTube and almost 43 million streams on Spotify.
Davidson is seeking US$10 million and a court ruling confirming that his rights were infringed, as well as preliminary and permanent injunctions to stop further use of the allegedly infringing material. He is also demanding “an accounting of all revenues, royalties, advances, streams, downloads, synchronization, public performance, and other income,” along with disgorgement of profits tied to the song. Additional requests include actual and statutory damages (with enhancements for willful infringement), correction of credits across platforms, attorneys’ fees, and “such other relief as the Court deems just and proper.”
The filing emphasizes that the alleged infringement is ongoing, stating that each stream, distribution, or performance of the song constitutes a “discrete infringing act”, with damages continuing to accrue over time.
The defendants—including Estefan or the Sony-affiliated companies have publicly responded to the allegations. The case, however, is poised to draw significant attention as it touches on longstanding industry debates around interpolation, homage versus infringement, and the legal boundaries of musical borrowing in Latin and Caribbean-influenced genres.
Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks has granted defendants including Emilio Estefan Jr., Estefan Enterprises, Inc., and Crescent Moon Studios, Inc.—an extension until May 22, 2026 to respond to the copyright lawsuit, following a request from their attorneys, Hans H. Hertell (lead counsel) and Michael Fisher.
