RUMOURS are being circulated that Tanzania's Bongo Flava artist Diamond Platnumz has once again teamed up with Koffi Olomide for another duet after the sky-high success of the Waah project in 2020.
It has been revealed in various social media outlets showing Diamond with a shot video while in the studio with Koffi which is an indication that there is something to come from the duo soon.
Diamond's mother Snura Kassim (Sandra Dangote) also shared a video while hanging out with Olomide at an undisclosed location. Diamond whose birth name is Nassib Abdul Juma, seems upbeat to shatter the record they stamped in Waah.
According to available sources, "Waah garnered over 1 million views in 8 hours and 2 million views in 13 hours on YouTube and that was a new milestone to be achieved by an African artiste based on the fact that the Waah video managed to clock over 2 million views in less than 24 hours.
It is not explained which style will be applied this time far from Ndomboro - Segere combination that commanded run in Waaah.
Collaboration with Congolese music has seen an increase in a number of East African musicians doing highly productive projects with the mega stars of the Kinshasa music scene.
Zuchu, joined the long list with Nani, her duet with Innosy B. Nani at the moment has scored big in the global market. Zuhura Othaman Soud alias Zuchu set a new record after becoming the first female artiste in East Africa to accumulate over 500 million views on YouTube. The singer has achieved the milestone in just three years of being in the music Industry.
"I love my Team I didn't even know that we had already reached 500 million views on Youtube," said via her tweet. She also thanked her management under Diamond Platnumz for always investing in her music and pushing her to new heights.
Koffi Olomide didn't stop there and as in the same year, Nandy (Faustine Mfinanga) called him for a duet in Leo Leo. Koffi Olomide's rich baritone heightened the status of the hit and won a big number of admirers.
Kenyan Maina Waweru commented in 2021: "That fusion of Taarab and Lingala is just out of this world. Awesome track right there" while Elisha Mwenesi added: "Bravo!! ... Koffi Olomide and Nandy for exploring powerful music in East and Central Africa!!"
In April 2021, some weeks after Diamond did three projects with Innosy B, Fally Ipupa, and Koffi Olomide, came Harmonize with a soundtrack tagged "Attitude" involving Awilo Longomba and H Baba, and the hit was well received by the music fans all over the globe.
Attitude fused Ngoni's Lizombe style and Awilo Longomba's Techno Soukous, and the outcome was amazing. It was the other way around in Tucheze by Ferre Gola where the Kinshasa music giants invited Kenyan music diva Victoria Kimani to sweeten the smash hit.
It is now clear that whether you're a seasoned artist or just starting out, working with other musicians can dramatically benefit your music career. Innossy B who was virtually unknown prior to his collaboration with Diamond, seems today more popular than those who began long before him.
From what we have seen in recent collaborations, it helps musicians to expand their creative horizons, reach new audiences, grow their fanbase, develop new skills, and financial benefits. Collaborating with other musicians can bring fresh ideas and perspectives to their work, help increase exposure and success, and allow for skill development and growth.
Collaborating also allows for sharing resources and costs, increasing income and revenue. By coming together and pooling their talents, musicians can create something more significant than the sum of its parts and take their careers to new heights.
One of the main benefits of collaborating with other musicians is that it can bring fresh ideas and perspectives to your music. Working with someone with a different musical background or style can help you break out of a creative rut and inspire new ideas.
Collaborating with others can also help you develop your creativity by pushing you to try new things and think outside the box.
When working with someone else, you have the opportunity to learn from their unique perspectives and approaches to music creation, leading to new ideas and methods. Collaborating also provides the chance to bounce ideas off each other, pushing each other to think outside the box and try new things.
Working with someone else can also help overcome creative blocks and spark new inspiration. There you can challenge each other to take risks and try new things, leading to a more diverse and dynamic creative process.
Collaborating with other musicians can provide a fresh and invigorating environment that stimulates new ideas.
When musicians work together, they combine their existing fanbases--increasing exposure for both artists. This can help you reach new audiences and expand your fanbase beyond your current sphere of influence.
Collaborating with other musicians can also help you tap into new musical genres and communities, providing opportunities to reach new fans.
For example, "Maria Salome" is a collaboration between Diamond Platnumz and Saida Karoli. The two artists have very different fanbases, but their collaboration resulted in a hit song that reached a wider audience and helped both artists grow their respective audiences.
Additionally, collaborating can lead to joint concerts, tours, and events, which can help you connect with fans in new areas and expand your reach. After the success of Yope Remix, Diamond and Innosy B performed together in the big event organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in 2021.
Collaborating with other musicians can significantly improve your skill development by exposing you to new techniques, approaches, and tools.
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When working with someone else, you have the opportunity to learn from their strengths, abilities, and knowledge, allowing you to grow and develop new skills.
Working with someone with more experience or expertise in a particular area can help you learn from their skills and knowledge.
For example, "Leo Leo" is a collaboration between music legend Koffi Olomide and new-generation singer Nandy. Nandy has a background in Bongo Flava and modern taarab music, while Koffi is a master of all Congolese genres that dominated the continent for over six decades.
Their collaboration allowed Nandy to learn from Koffi Olomide's expertise, develop her songwriting skills, and lead to one of her most creatively written songs. Additionally, collaborating with other musicians can help you step outside your comfort zone and challenge yourself in new ways.
This can help you break bad habits and develop new, more effective approaches to music creation. Working with someone new can also lead to feedback and constructive criticism, allowing you to refine your skills and improve your craft.
Collaborating with other musicians can provide opportunities for skill development, growth, and improvement, leading to a more well-rounded and effective approach to music creation. So what happens next after these golden projects? Only time will tell.
·Miguel Suleyman is a Tanzanian ethnomusicologist based in Dar es Salaam
