Tag: Music

Celebrity geniuses: Lessons other artists should learn from Willy Paul and Bahati

Posted on by Branny

The Kenyan celebrity has its pros and cons and to be one you need to have the skin for it. I mean for the longest time we have seen many celebrities who come up be loved and later disappear like passing wind.

However some celebrities have mastered a way of sticking around despite being thrown stones at.

For two artists Bahati and Willy Paul have proven that they are masters of this celebrity status.

You might ask how yet they are always “chomaing picha”.

Look at it this way they started out as gospel artists humble, modest and would be heavens gate keepers.

Well, these two chaps needed a leeway to get to the top and that worked out just fine. Why not grab opportunities as they come? Yes, they did or still do good music and that’s just about it.

So what’s the trick you may ask? I believe this 3 are the few takes that propelled the two to the top.

Controversy

When they started out in the gospel scene, they had big hits that fans hoped they could have a collaboration together.

However they did the opposite they two singers would forever be at logger heads trying to prove who is better than the other. Clearly we are not sure yet but truth is they have stayed at the top of their games.

Willy Paul thought he is playing himself by sticking in the gospel scene then shifted to secular. Some fans were angry with his move but to him things see m to be working out just fine.

For Bahati, he thrives on being the trending topic negative or positive for as long as he has the numbers. Its all about the business ya’ll.

Also read: No one respects Bahati as a man and it’s Diana Marua’s fault

Social media craze

A little buzz on the internet could be the best move to make when working on your celebrity status. These two know how to play  the social media craze.

One day you see Willy Paul mock Bahati before the later answers with something else and well life goes on. Next thing you see they have a song out. Then what? We keep loving them or better yet troll them some more. But guess what? They smile to the bank.

Consistency

Th tow have a consistent way of doing their music something not many artists have. Their music regardless of how what content it carries they give their fans what they think is good.

I mean look at Bahati’s new song “Wanani” its a beautiful love song but most of looked at his “gospel” label.

On the other hand, Pozze gave us a beautiful thanksgiving song “Wema”  with Gloria Muliro and he was praised for that.

In conclusion, these two chaps have mastered their arts. They do what pleases them and that makes them celebrity geniuses and will stick around for a long time.

EXCLUSIVE: Guardian Angel speaks on his music, new album and views how the contemporary Gospel musicians messed up

Posted on by Branny

As we rant about how rotten the gospel music scene is marred by lots of scandals, we never get to ask the same artists direct questions like what went wrong?

We had the chance to speak to gospel artist Guardian Angel, on the issues around this genre of music. The Deka hit maker has managed to stay relevant in the gospel scene for a while now.

Also read: Guardian Angel is taking over Kenyan Gospel music

We wanted to understand what happens in the gospel scene and where some people went wrong .

In his part he says allowing themselves to divulge in worldly music just to please fans was the breaking point.

Guardian Angel

Guardian Angel revealed that contemporary  gospel music is a a difficult scene to venture in. He said as a gospel artist fans have very high expectations.

Also read: It’s time we started appreciating Guardian Angel’s music

For a guy that started his career back in high school the uphill task of gaining a place in the music industry has not been easy.

He says fans play a very big role in music creation thus get to a point where some have to get more creative to impress fans and not for the glory of God.

I for one for a long time have been a keen follower of what other artists do and truth is  artists have not revere for God.

However Nakuhitaji hit maker managed to pave his way back to the top despite few  sat backs.

As it stands I can confidently say that he is now the reigning king in the contemporary gospel music. I mean fans  love him.

New Album

Thanks to the reception he has received in his latest music he has opted to have a worship album soon.

He said he is in contact with several gospel artists two from Southern Africa and the rest from Kenya that he is pointing at working with for the new album.

Below is the link to the interview. Hope he answers your questions.

 

Willy Paul’s curve to secular music is totally paying off

Posted on by Branny

When Willy Paul shifted from the gospel industry to the secular Scene,fans were skeptical about his move.

People went ahead to judge his decision but well ain’t all we all judged no matter what we do?

Willy paul first got people talking when he was caught ob camera grinding on a lady at  a club in Nairobi.This did not excite the holier than though because he was a gospel artist. Right?

Secular shift

As the scandal died down he dropped a new song  “Njiwa” a collaboration with Tanzania’s songstress Nandy. Then again the internet blew up about Willy Paul shifting to secular.

Well this time he took it upon himself to clear the air as he said he was just an artist no specificity. Clearer than ever!

That notwithstanding he dropped another song with Nandy “Hallelujah” and he still became a topic. Trust Kenyans on Twitter, certified trolls.

Further more “Bwana Mkunaji” has been doing well in the secular scene.

Unapologetic Willy

Willy Paul posing with his ‘wife’

The collaborations he has done so far have been well received by fans.Another thing is that Willy Paul can no longer pretend about what he really wants.

For one, he keeps doing good music, I mean raunchy but at least he is true to himself.

He  has been able to reach to his fans from all over with his music  with plans of bigger collaborations.

On several occasions he has been seen in interviews from Tanzania media as one of the biggest artists  in East Africa.

His art keeps growing by the day.

Not that we don’t miss him in the gospel scene,  but we can enjoy the dances in this “new ” unapologetic Willy Paul.On the other hand he is totally worth betting on for good music.

I mean Willy Paul is living the life he always wanted,from that small boy from the slums to being the owner of Saldido records.

True definition of a dream come true. So people judging him should give the boy a break!

“Trend Akee”by Tanzania’s Gnako featuring Marissa is totally worth your time

Posted on by Branny

Tanzania’s rapper G Nako and Marrisa have released a new audio “Trend Akee.” Basically a song about Marrisa’s desire to trend on the social media platforms.

Gnako goes ahead and gives her the several options available on how to trend. Talk of options he gives just that.

Lyrics

Some of the suggestions given by G Nako include

Sema umetembea na simba au Kiba (tell people you walked with a lion or Ali Kiba)
Tafuta dawa ya korona, (Find the cure to corona)

The most hilarious suggestion is when G Nako  asks her to stone an army truck. He assures her that she will not only trend but also lose her life in her quest to trend.

Marrisa also has some good suggestions to make to him as she suggests that G-Nako should be Wema Sepetu’s Ben 10.

Well, who wouldn’t trend after having made such a move? Someone is rattling the snake huh!

Context achieved?

The comical song is quite hilarious and youths, who are mostly on social media and are keen on the trends can easily relate to it.

Thus the context of the song was well put out.However we now wait to see what happens in the video.

The artists start the song by saying that wanting to trend, is a desire of people living in urban areas which has some truth to it.

The song that has been going around in tik tok with fans using it to make little videos to keep them busy in this quarantine season.

G-Nako has thrived in the industry by keeping up his rap game.

He has specialized in collabos with artist like Maua Sama, Bull Ranking, Fny, Abdu Kiba,Kontawa, Aslay, Rich Mavoko, Rosa Ree, Shetta and several others, including Kenya’s Timmy Tdat.

The audio was produced by producer Aloneym.The song has been well received by fans so far and will keep trending as tik tok has a way of making this to happen. Seemingly, the song will achieve its main objective, which was to trend.

Rating 6/10

EMB’s Weezdom drops new track “Roba Roba” after long musical dryspell

Posted on by Branny

Kenyans or rather gospel music lovers were in for a rude shock when Weezdom’s song roba roba was released. The artist signed under Bahati’s EMB record label has had a backlash from fans who didn’t shy away from expressing their disappointment in the quality of song and everything that’s related to it.

Some fans blame it on the poor management of the record label as well as the labels lack of interest in doing quality work as every record label is required to.

Remember  Weezdom had also left the label before returning and starting afresh.
The song is a raw deal especially for those who love gospel music. It’s a total waste of song as it carries little to no meaning. No words of encouragement, no praise or worship aspect to it.

Honestly its easy to say it is not gospel and neither is it good enough to be graded as secular.

Lyrics and video

The song is so short. It ends before the listener gets the gist of it. Besides the beat he only sings for 2 minutes There is a lot of repetition in it. The beginning of the song has this Lucky Dube kind of ring to it but then it shifts to Nyashinski kind of rap followed by a mixture of styles. It is not the conventional singing, neither is it rap.

The video lacks order. It features a mix of old school and kind of modern. Since the song doesn’t have a clear outline, the video vixens struggle with the dance choreography.

Well it goes without saying that the song was rushed and is of poor quality. EMB record label can do much better. Weezdom also needs to rethink his musical career and wake up from his slumber because at this rate he will be pushed out of the industry without him knowing.

Bahati now teams up with Boondocks gang for “Taniua” gospel song

Posted on by Branny

When the noise around gengetone music going to church then here comes another dubbed “Taniua” by Bahati featuring Boondocks gang.

EMB records CEO Bahati seems to have known how to capitalize on scandals. I mean it was just the other day that he was trending for getting Peter Blessing arrested.

Then I remember saying his drama was louder than his music.

Also read: The little drama boy: Bahati’s lost objective in the gospel music industry

Taniua

Well, it’s obvious he thrives on that. Here now he drops “Taniua”  loosely translates to “kill me”. This is a phrase that was made famous by Exray as a signature tune.

Bahati and Odi Wa Murang'a

However, the concept for this song is around a guy that is trying to reevaluate his life, torn between Christianity and the worldly fun.

For one I give credit for the team up despite knowing that this would spark a conversation among netizens. Furthermore, I believe Bahati knew this would be good for business.

Especially after the drama, he has had lately.

The lyrics are quite hard to understand for those that struggle with the Kenyan sheng. Yes, the idea was well put but too difficult for some people.

But anyway here it is. The lyrics have too much weight around kishada and hangovers.

Exray

On the other hand, I will give credit where it’s due, Boondocks gang delivered their lines just as expected. The beat to the song is also not badly off.

The delivery of the song would have been better with clearer lyrics because no matter what happens I believe God deserves His respect.

We can play around with everything but not the truth about the gospel.

For that in one sense if the song was merely for entertainment then I say good job, however, I will be lying if I say that many will sit down to listen to this for any conviction purpose. It’s all wrongly done but well-intended.

Your thoughts?

4 Kenyan music groups to watch out for in 2020

Posted on by Branny

For the longest time, Kenyans have struggled in appreciating their own music. However, we cannot dismiss the fact that there are several artistes that outdo themselves to stay relevant.

In 2020, my focus goes to music groups that are so far doing so well. This as a benchmark for other musicians on what good music entails.

Well here are groups to watch out for in 2020 in the music scene:

Sauti Sol

The biggest boy band in Kenya seems to be the only team that understands music and its impact. Sauti Sol has been on the scene for a while now. They also run a  label Sol Generation that has seen the invention of Kaskazini Boy band, Nviiri the storyteller, Crystal Asige and Bensol.

Their musical prowess has seen them grow internationally that has seen them sign a deal with Universal Music Africa (UMA).

This is a division of one of the world’s largest music labels Universal Music Group. As we anticipate their new album that has the latest release Suzanna, clearly Sauti Sol is band to watch out for this year.

 Kaskazini Band

This is one of the latest band in the Kenyan music scene. They are signed under the Sol Generation label that has seen them propel their music a notch higher.

Kaskazini Band

With the guidance from Sauti Sol they are the most promising group to watch out for. Having featured in Sol Generations Exrvanganza the boys possess powerful vocals. We hope 2020 will be a good year for them.

Jadi

This is another group that is slowly taking over the RnB scene in Kenya. The Kaka empire signed band boasts of having one of the best rappers in Kenya as a mentor. Well, whether they going to venture into rap or not they are a band you don’t want to miss out on this year. So far they have done several tours in the country and have 2 songs released with the latest being Baadae. These boys can serenade a woman weeehh!!

Sailors Gang

We conclude with these because if there is any team in gengetone that understands consistency then this just about it. They excited the nation with their music for the better part of last year and well this is a team you’d want to keep dancing to. Daring enough they took gengetone to church with Jesu ni Mwathani.

When you thought you had seen it all with the Wamlambez team they also boast of collabos with several other artists something that propelled them a notch higher.

Wakiritho was a jam they did with Octopizzo and it did well. Recently they partnered with Nadia Mukami and dropped an exciting love song Tekenye.

Clearly they are here to stay.

The little drama boy: Bahati’s lost objective in the gospel music industry

Posted on by Branny

This year has had its fair share of drama be it from politics through to the music industry.

The gospel music industry in Kenya as we always say is just a circus, especially around the contemporary music scene.

It’s just the other day when Kenyans on social media were praising Kevin Kioko alias Bahati for “supporting” talent when he took Denno.

They did a collabo together that we all fell in love with. Well, that was just about it.

Remember in early 2019, the EMB records boss had a major set back when all his artists inclusive of Mr.Seed, David Wonder among others left his label.

Reasons? They all had different stories of experiences with Bahati’s label.

Bahati’s Peter Blessing

Now this year, his newly late 2019 signee Peter Blessings and Producer Paulo have been on the receiving end.

Bahati and Peter

A few weeks ago it emerged that Peter Blessings was arrested on the order of  Bahati for breach of contract. This came after Peter Blessings had asked to leave the label and start off on his own more like “hustle” independently.

Also read: Mr Seed finally speaks after seeing a helpless Peter Blessing in handcuffs

Bahati got the “Nasubiri Bado” hitmaker for defying a supposed 20 years contract. I mean why get bound by such?

At the same time, his one-time producer Paulo was also arrested for theft and inciting Peter Blessings to exit the Bahati owned label.

Publicity or loss of relevance?

On the other hand, as we castigate him for his actions remember he has been vocal about his music business. Maybe these two are serving as an example of what happens when you breach a contract.

Whether there is truth on not at least that is clear.

Also read:¨Pride comes before a fall!¨ Kenyans warn gospel artiste, Bahati

However, one would question the honesty behind his ‘signing” of new artists in his label only to be harassed later on.

My two cents is Bahati should try and focus on the gospel music he is supposed to be doing. It’s unnecessary to feed the public with drama to remain relevant in the scene.

Ok, his music too has not been topping the charts so well maybe he should restrategize be it music or business.

Why? The exits from his label are louder than his music!!

Tanasha’s collaboration with Bongo’s finest is a boost for her music

Posted on by Catherine Nderitu

Tanasha has for the first time proved that she is on a mission to better in the music scene. The mother of one has taken the internet by surprise after releasing a hit in which she has collaborated with Wasafi’s finest, Mbosso.

One thing we must look at in Tanasha’s music, it is evident that she has always struggled to hit the numbers. I know most will say that it is because she is not talented, but again, where did the talent come from this time around?

Tanasha's collaboration with Bongo's finest is a boost for her music

In a game of wits, Tanasha has done a great job to use the Wasafi crew to her advantage. First, her dating Diamond is one great step to win in her music career.

In addition, Diamond is a big name in the region and most people knowing that he has a thing with Tanasha they will definitely rush to listen to her work.

Sometime back we talked of her being an armature and this time she seems to have mastered the game and polished her work.

Also, I am sure Tanasha has a couple of collaborations expected to drop within the week. It will not be a wonder that they will come from Tanzania.

Tanasha's collaboration with Bongo's finest is a boost for her music

In addition, Tanasha has proved that to sell one needs to be smart. Don’t just go to a foreign land and be dumb. This young mama is already benefiting from Tanzania and the bongo world at large.

Seems like, in 2020, this will be her breakthrough in the music world. I know you have all had the opportunity to listen to her previous work.  It is nothing close to what she has under producer Lizer.

Actually, Tanasha will be the biggest name in Kenya and in East Africa. If she keeps on collaborating with the Tanzanian singers. For this reason, you’ll notice that her name is at the top and on the trending list. We need to promote our own and more so Tanasha.

The lass is already selling the Kenyan name in Tanzania and in places, Diamond Platinumz steps foot.

Brown Mauzo’s Music getting slow reception

Posted on by Catherine Nderitu

Brown Mauzo has been one of Kenya’s bongo artist. He has struggled with the high tides in the industry which is dominated by Tanzanian musicians. Although Brown Mauzo is talented he is derailing in climbing the ladder.

Mauzo has a good voice, great artwork in the way he writes his music. My only question is why is his music stagnant?

Brown Mauzo. Kenyan bongo artist

The kind of music he doe is accepted well here in Kenya morose when done by an artist in Tanzania. What is happening to Kenyans? As much as Mombasa is a Swahili dominate city, Brown rarely gets even 100k likes on youtube.

This is very depressing for an artist who has given music his all. I mean look at the efforts he is putting in. To start with he has had a couple of radio tours but nothing is improving. Could it be that Kenyans are very mean? Or they do not feel his vibe?

What Should Brown Mauzo Do?

Firstly, I feel like Brown Mauzo should re-strategize in the way he does music. What exactly do I mean? He needs to change his style. Who knows that this could be the only way he can win back his fans.

Even with all the fame Mauzo needs to seek collaborations with big artists. It is high time that he left Kenyan artists be and merge with Tanzanian Bongo artists who are really taking the stage. He should not concentrate more on Kenya but on the platforms where Bongo music is appreciated.

In addition to that, it is not a must for him to concentrate more on Bongo music. How about he tried another genre? This guy is super talented. Most of this musicians do not listen to their fans. This could be the only way they ca be relevant.

Brown Mauzo long ago was doing so well, I wonder what changed a long the way. His music has become stagnant and his name is no longer growing. You’ll agree with me that he just needs change.

In collaborations, he seems to be doing better. His latest single Aniote has not even hit 50k views.

Below is a link to his new video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQGkfsosn-U

 

 

 

Eric Omondi the King of Comedy and Music parody

Posted on by Branny

Eric Omondi is a Kenyan comedian that can now be termed as the King of Comedy. I mean he is the best  in Africa anyway.

The award winning comedian had his days of glory when he started off  at Churchill Show such that when he left he made sure his name would remain relevant.

How? Using music and creativity as his tool to staying in the limelight.

Despite the love story drama and other shenanigans that befall him, Eric always sails through them like nothing happened. Some people need this kind of courage to make it in the industry.

King of parody

As I mentioned earlier, Eric Omondi picked and angle that would keep his brand on the trend. Clearly, he identified music parodies as his new niche.

Since long enough , Kenyans have appreciated Eric’s creativity of using the top most trending songs.

Further, he maintains the tune of the original song I believe to make the songs easy to relate to by his fans.

From Patriotism to Socialism he manages to coin his words and makes sure they entertain and also pass a message.

Most Popular parodies Today

Eric Omondi the King of Parody

Kanyaga

Originally done by Diamond Platinumz. For Eric Omondi has created a parody out of this, with link to the  Africa Cup of Nation games happening in Cairo, Egypt.

After Kenya was trashed by Algeria, Eric is creating a patriotic song to gunner more courage Kenyan team set to play against Tanzania on 27th June 2019.

The video quality was top notch I must say. Not forgetting the other called Pepetanga.

Miwa for Njiwa

This was a song originally done by Bwana Mkunaji Willy Paul who featured Nandi in the song Njiwa. This was done for comic purposes as he was doing Comedy story line of ‘How to be Willy Paul”.

The concept was so well done that fans asked for all the songs in the video as singles.

In the video he did Willy Pauls’ songs like Sitolia that he featured Mammito Eunice-Hey Mammito that voice we notice it mama keep it up.

ExtraWajanja

However, we also must acknowledge how he embraces his fellow artists in his videos.For this Eric did a Sol Generation Song Extravaganza changed to Extra wajanja introducing upcoming comedians namely Kartelo and Mulamwah. These two will be a force to reckon within the comedy industry.

Bottom line, with all the success he has received Eric Omondi has managed to stay at the top of his game.What is the secret?Well that is a story for another day. But for now, Hail ooh King of Kenyan Parody!!

Mbosso of the famed ‘Nadekezwa’-The boy that turned to a man

Posted on by Branny

Mbosso is a bongo musician whose real name is Mbwana Yusuph Kilungi Jr. He was born on 3rd October in Kibiti, Rufiji to a mother who is a farmer and a father who is a tout in Kibiti. His father is called Yusuph Mbone Kilungi while his mother is known as Khadija Salim Kilale.

Despite the hardship he says his parents supported him and educated him until he finished the high school level. This according to a documentary done by Mbosso titled ‘Life of Mbosso” and was produced by Wasafi Records.

After High school he convinced his parents to allow him leave home and go to Dar es Laam and try his luck in Music.A stance that they hesitated for a bit.

Just like any typical African  parent, his parents wanted him to study if he was to have a better chance to life.

Career

He later left home for Dar es Salaam where he began his music career. When he got to Dar, life was not rosy as he had thought before leaving home.

As he kept his hustle one of Tanzania’s biggest producers Mkubwa Fella Identified him  one night picked him up from the streets. Mkubwa Fella teamed him up with a Mkubwa na Wanawe band  which he was managing that was later called Yamoto Band.

Working together with Aslay, Enock Bella , Mbosso  and Beka Flavor,Yamoto band became a sensation for 4 continuous years.Unfortunately they separated after irreconcilable  issues cropped up.

According to Mbosso he went back home after hitting rock bottom, but fortunately he was once again taken back to Dar by Wasafi’s artist  Rayvanny . This was after several friends who trusted in his talent  tried convincing him to go back.

After a while he was signed under Wasafi Records where before being unveiled he had to work on his solo album.Things were tough but  Mbosso did not give up.

As I write this, Mbosso has done several songs that have been received well in East Africa and they include,Watakubali,Nadekezwa,Hodari,Nipepee,Alele,Nimekuzoea,Picha yake, Shida as a solo artist and few collaborations too.

Love life

Mbosso has also kept his love life off the media.However he says he has two children.According to the documentary,his song Watakubali is a true life story of the lady from a rich family who truly loved him but their difference in life status was hindering the relationship.Whoever the lady is, Mbosso will not be revealing her anytime soon.

He recently bought a house for himself and you’d see his humilty in the caption he put on the post on his Instagram post of the house.

Below is the Documentary of his life.Watch and tell us what you think.

Love breaker: Lavalava of ‘Tuchane”

Posted on by Branny

Early life

Abdul Juma Idd aka Lavalava was born  on 27th March 1993.He is a fast rising Bongo star from Tanzania signed under Wasafi Records managed by Diamond Platinumz.

According to Mutaha site,Lavalava’s passion for singing started way back but did not have a clear stance then.His mother is said to have been against his music career as he would mostly rely on her for bus fare to music concerts and events.

This were difficult for him, such that on his first studio session he was chased from studio for lack on basic knowledge of harmony in music. At that point Lavalava saw it necessary to learn and he joined  Tanzania house of Talent and studied Music.

When he finished, one of his friends linked him up to Wasafi records where he was signed but official unveiling took two years.

He even stayed the label for a whole year before meeting boss Diamond Platinumz.

Career

Diamond Platnumz noticed Lava lava talent a bit early but wanted to check his character and personality before signing him.

H said during an  interview at Clouds Fm,  that he once asked to buy a song from Lava lava but Lava lava refused to sell it to him but instead offered to give him the song for free.

This for Lavalava was a life changing chance because after that, Diamond Platinumz signed him up officially  on 22nd May 2017 .

From then his career picked of when his first song ‘Tuachane” landed as a hit to the fans of Wasafi which stands 8.4 million views today on Youtube.

As he slowly curves his niche as a solo artist under the label, lavalava is an artist to look out for.

His songs revolve around love and heartbreak which makes it easy to relate too.

Other songs include,Go gaga,Nitake nini,Utatulia,Kilio,Teja,Kizunguzungu,Single,Nimekuchagua,Tattoo,Pasha, Hatuachani.

Lavalava has also featured in collaborations done  by Wasafi artists like ‘Jibebe done by Diamond and Mbosso, Zilipendwa that had all signed artsist of Wasafi records.

Love life

He has kept his love life in the wraps despite a few rumors of him being in a relation ship with Tanzanian Flaviana an allegation he denied saying Flaviana is woman looking for ‘Kiki” -fame using his name. So ladies he might be single mmmhh.

The Man in the name Diamond Platinumz

Posted on by Branny

Abdul Naseeb Juma alias Diamond Platinumz, also known as Chibu Dangote.

Diamond is one of Africa’s Leading and most Influential Artist. He is a Bongo Flava recording artist and singer from Tanzania. He is best known for several hit songs including ‘Nataka Kulewa” ,Nenda Kamwambie, Number one, The one, Salome among many others.

Origin

He was born on 2nd October 1989 and raised  in Tandale  the Western Part of Tanzania .One among 4 children, they  were born to  Mzee Abdul Juma and  Bi. Sanura Kasimu. His siblings are Queen Darleen ,Esma Platinumz and Romeo Abdul Jones.

He went to Tandale Magharibi for his primary school education from 1996-2002.He later joined secondary school that he finished in 2006.

Music career

In 2007, Diamond Platinumz showed interest in music with the support of his mother.He started of by  doing song covers of other artists.His mother bought him albums from other artists as means of learning  to write music.

She also took him to music shows and auditions  as means of trying to get funds for studio sessions but due to financial constraints he fell out of it most times. However Diamond did not give up.

Thanks to his mothers support  Diamond has had a successful career since 2009 after his break through song of ‘Nenda Kamwambie’.

In the song it was a reflection of the rejection he got from his first girlfriend who ditched his with the excuse of not dating a man with no money and future. Typical huh!!

After that, you can definitely say  that Diamond became an international sensation that is not going anywhere anytime soon.

Awards

As his career picked up the Tanzanian singer bagged 22 awards  and 22 nominations among them,Best Male Writer, Best Male Artist, Best Song Writer and Best Male Entertainer of the Year.

He is the founder and the President of WCB Wasafi records.In the label he signed several artists that have clearly not been a let down in the East African Music scene if not Africa.

Love life

On this side of life Diamond has displayed his  urge in women which clearly is high.After the poverty ended relationship, Diamond was said to have dated Tanzanian Actress Wema Sepetu for a while  and to some it was believed that the two were soulmates. Unfortunately things ended and they went their separate ways.

Before long, in late 2014 rumors of Diamond Platinumz and renowned South Africa based Ugandan Socialite Zari  Hassan emerged. However, the two denied the allegations but months later Diamond Platinumz announced on Instagram the birth of their Daughter Princess Latiffah Dangote. They were happy together.

This went on then came their second child Prince Nillan  amidst allegations that Diamond platinumz did not want the second child.Reason? still not clear.

Few months later after the release of  the ‘Salome” hit that featured  Rayvanny. The featuring Model Hamisa  Mobeto is said to have been sleeping Diamond Platinumz and together they had a son named baby Daylan.

A son Zari accepted and said that Diamond had to own up to his mistakes and be a father to his son.

As at now Diamond’s sexual escapades could not be missed by  social media and that would describe his love life.As it is he is now dating Kenyan Radio presenter and musician Tanasha Oketch.

Networth

After years of  of great success in the music industry, Diamond Platinumz could  be one of the highest earning artists in East Africa.According to the artiste, he is worth a whopping $4.5 million (Kshs. 460 million), earning him a position as one of the most affluent artistes on the continent.

This amount has been earned from his top-selling ringtones, expensive concerts, tours, royalties, and brand ambassadorial deals.

He also earns from endorsements from some of the largest companies in the world such as Vodacom, Red Gold, DSTV, and Coca-Cola.

Vivian wa Kucheza Chini-Vivian Musiq at a glance

Posted on by Branny

Vivian Wambui famously known as Vivian Kenya is a Kenyan Musician, song writer and a  celebrated recording artist.

She was born on 15th March and is the third born in the family of four.Vivian was brought up in Pangani Estate in Nairobi.

Being a city girl you’d definitely believe Vivian was brought up as a “cool-kid”-if that’s a thing.

Education

Well, its true.For her Primary school, Vivian went to Marion Group of schools and letter joined Statehouse Girls for her Secondary school education.

She later joined The Kenya School of Professional Studies where she studied  Marketing for her Degree.

Career in music

Vivian’s interest in entertainment began at an early age where she was acting as a lead soloist at school events.

She became an active spoken word artiste and singer after being introduced to it by a friend.

Further she went ahead to pursue her musical interests in her teenage years  by studying music. In my point of view, this is something many of the artists do thankfully.

Her popularity was brought into the fore front years later where she joined Main Switch recording studios for a year. She did her first debut with Jaguar who was her muse then.

This was after the Chum chum hit maker  struggled in  in her pursuit of  getting in to the  the industry.

Lucky enough Vivian Has managed to stay relevant in the  Kenyan Music scene.

She is famed for big hits like Teren teren, Charm that she featured Ugandan Veteran artist Jose Chameleon,Chingi Changa,Talk to me(Boss lady),Addicted featuring Kenyan Comedian MCA tricky,Nilivyo that had the Soulful Madini classic in it  among others.

She went independent with her manager who is now her husband Sam West.

So far they seem to be doing well  both as a couple and professionals. They have their own label called “Moran”.

Vivian wa leo…

Few days ago, there was a  small side show depicted by Vivian when she leaked her whatsapp conversation between her, Naiboi and Savara of Sauti Sol on their latest Jam “Cheza Chini” on her social Media.

The issue about Sam West not liking a scene that was too Intimate to his liking. Details?

Also read:Men, listen up! Sam West now urges men to ¨Cheza Chini¨ after wife, Vivian´s leaked chats and intimacy with Naiboi

Good enough, she managed to get to her fans and from the views on youtube, Vivian is that Kenyan artist you wish not miss in the Industry.

 

Sobriety in Music Writing:Kenyan Vs Tanzanian Music

Posted on by Branny

This year has had its fair share of Drama in the entertainment Industry majorly Music.It started with the play Kenyan Music  hashtag.This sparking a conversation for several weeks both on social and mainstream media.

But where do  some of our artists go wrong? Essentially there is good music, but not enough has been done to better the Kenyan Music.

Kenyan Artists and Writing..

Do Kenyan artists  ever ask yourselves why some of the music ain’t playing on mainstream media?

Understanding music as an art and not just a way to fame are two different approaches.As a musician, one has to embrace the fact that dedication to writing is key.

Many of  the Kenyan artists get lots of backlash because of  the songs lyrics.The biggest bunch of artists are this that use direct vulgarity to do music and their lyrics depict nothing less than ‘we need help in writing”.

Good examples of these artists are the likes of  Ethic, Ochunglo family,Rico gang among many others. The latest song by Ethic that was able to amass over 1million views has lyrics that in my opinion  are too sexual,

‘Si hupandana, panda panda Si hupandana, katangaze basi baby Si hupandana, panda panda  Si hupandana eeh”“Tunabakana, hapo nyuma na sidika  Mnafanana, maana kila day bana  Unaitangaza, katangaze basi baby”

This does not mean that there are no music writers its just that not many embrace them. Such writers include,newly signed under Sol Generation, Bensoul,’Bazokizo’ hit maker Collo,Bien Barasa of Sauti sol, ‘Lingala ya Yesu’ singer Pitson is also a celebrated writer just to mention a few.

Well, these names depict that the Kenyan Music scene would do so well with such talents in writing more music for artists.

Content creation…

On the other hand Tanzanian artists have embraced song writers that bring a poetic approach to music.This gives music a touch of sensualism. Thus making the music very easy to relate to. The likes of Wasafi records artists take a poetic sense to reach their audience. Furthermore I believe they understand their audience before releasing a song.

Recently Darasa of Tanzania Released three songs back to back .His lyrical approach in one of the songs ‘leo’ that he featured Juma Jux is spectacular and metaphorical,

Hello its me again Mr Burudani, take away the pain Pole kwa kuchelewa si unajua foleni Nawapa vidonge kutuliza complain” “Kichwa, sijabeba kama pambo Akili, nimetega kwenye chambo Fullu, charge na fullu bundle Ukileta usoo, unawekwa kando”

Bottom line…

Its evident that, yes Kenya has good music writers and good artists.But so does Tanzania.

However, fact is that there is a line drawn between the two industries and if we are not careful,Tanzania will dominate the East African Music scene just because they embrace partnerships,research  and team growth.

But again in the millenial sense of thinking,maybe the receivership of music is also a factor that degrades lyrics writing. If vulgar songs are accepted allover the world.Why not our own Ethic and the likes? Wakisema ‘Pandana’ tutapandana as regulators keep gushing on these young lads instead of helping them grow.

Furthermore, if Kenyan artists embrace excellent song writers then we’d have hits like ‘Megarider’ by Nameless and Kaligraph on a daily basis.