Tanzania’s music regulatory board Baraza la Sanaa la Taifa (BASATA) has banned Bongo stars Diamond Platnumz and Rayvanny from performing any shows or organizing any concerts in and outside Tanzania effective Wednesday.
BASATA announced ban after the musicians performed the outlawed “Mwanza” song during their Wasafi Festival tours held across different regions in Tanzania recently.
“The board has reached a decision to formally ban Diamond and Rayvanny from holding performances in and outside Tanzania due to their indiscipline and disrespect to BASATA. The Wasafi Festival organizers have shown that they would do everything possible to disrepute the board,” they said in an official statement posted on their Instagram page.
“BASATA is a subset of the Government, and when one defies the State, the Government is left with no choice but to charge him with treason. The Prosecution would, thereafter, take up the case,” Mr Kayanda, the agency’s interim executive secretary told Tanzania’s Bongo 5.
However, speaking to Edaily, Diamond’s manager Babu Tale said that the shows would go on as planned and that they would try and come to an agreement with BASATA.
“The concerts will go on as planned. To be specific, all of them,” said Babu Tale.
“We will reach out to them and see how we can meet half-way. Meanwhile, we’ll handle the consequences when we get there.”
Diamond Platnumz and Rayvanny’s song “Mwanza” was banned from playing on Tanzanian radio and TV stations in November 2018 due to its ‘sexually-offensive’ lyrics.
