Category: Music

H.i.k.i. By Ebreezy

Released on February 8, 2023, the album H.I.K.I marks a significant creative step for the artist Ebreezy.  The title itself — H.I.K.I — stands for High Inspired Kept Kingdom Instincts, giving us a glimpse into the conceptual framework behind the project. 

Context & Artist Background

Ebreezy is an artist whose work spans multiple facets of modern musical expression, blending influences and personal narrative. While detailed biographical material isn’t copious, his discography shows a continuing evolution in both sound and ambition. The release of H.I.K.I comes after previous works such as “Girls Ain’t Innocent” (2022) and the EP Wat’s In The Vault Pt. 2. 

By choosing the subtitle “High Inspired Kept Kingdom Instincts,” Ebreezy hints at a commitment to authenticity (“Kept”), sovereignty of self (“Kingdom”), and tapping into innate creativity (“Instincts”). The “High Inspired” portion suggests striving toward elevated vision or purpose.

Tracklist & Musical Flow

The album consists of eight tracks, totaling approximately 30 minutes.  Here is the tracklist:

Intro (hapa)— 2:47  Twende — 4:00  Mpishi — 4:26  Kwanini We — 4:12  This Town — 3:50  Ukweli wa Amani — 4:19  Mawazo — 3:37  Outro (Paa/Ngangara)— 3:31 

Musically, the album weaves through reflections on place (“This Town”), internal dialogue (“Mawazo” which means “thoughts” in Swahili), and a broader peace-seeking (“Ukweli wa Amani” translates roughly to “Truth of Peace”). The use of Swahili titles suggests cultural layering and invites listeners to interpret identity and experience through a diasporic or multilingual lens.

Themes & Highlights

Identity & Place: With songs like “This Town,” Ebreezy explores a sense of belonging or dislocation, perhaps both the literal and metaphorical town one inhabits and the internal town of self. Reflection & Instinct: Tracks such as “Mawazo” and “Kwanini We” (which could be interpreted as “Why Us?” or “Why You?”) delve into self-reasoning, questioning, and introspection. Peace & Truth: “Ukweli wa Amani” stands out for its thematic weight: truth and peace are presented as intertwined, suggesting a spiritual or philosophical core to the project. Cultural Language Play: The mixture of English with Swahili (and potentially other languages or influences) gives the album a textured feel, and invites listeners from varied backgrounds to engage with its layered meanings.

Production & Sound

The sound of H.I.K.I reflects precision, intention, and balance — eight tracks and thirty minutes of pure cohesion. Rather than reaching for commercial appeal, Ebreezy curates an experience that feels deliberate and tightly woven. Every beat, vocal layer, and instrumental texture speaks to a deeper vision: one rooted in instinct, collaboration, and authenticity.

Behind the scenes, a powerful creative collective helped bring that vision to life. Hardworknation Marketing Company provided unwavering support and direction, ensuring that every detail aligned with the project’s essence. The sonic craftsmanship unfolded across borders, with contributions from Soundking, Little Africa, Asili Sound, 6 Records, and E.F.N — connecting studios in Switzerland, Tanzania, and the United States.

The production energy of GQ, Kichwa Touch, Eric Wilson, Domi Beats, Black Culture, Sajo, and Rage Infinite Producer infused H.I.K.I with its dynamic texture and emotional resonance. Visually, Ezra Brown and Mr. Filly translated the album’s depth into a striking design that mirrors its spiritual and creative tone.

The project’s poetic and vocal layers were further elevated by Mac Leisian, Asteria Official (TZ Poets), MC Koba TZ, Britney Marie, and Torrence Bristaw, guided the coordination between process with precision each adding rhythm, reflection, and soul. Charissa Stephens harmonies added warmth and textedture to the soundscape , Abbas Max brother

Together, this collective transformed H.I.K.I into more than just an album — it became a movement. A manifestation of Highly Inspired Kept Kingdom Instincts, where intuition meets discipline and collaboration breathes life into art.

Listeners will notice a seamless blend of mid-tempo rhythms, introspective lyricism, and cultural inflections that set this project apart from mainstream releases. The album leans toward artful exploration rather than formulaic radio singles — though tracks like “This Town” show strong crossover potential. Songs such as “Mpishi” (“cook” in Swahili) reveal Ebreezy’s layered storytelling, using metaphor to speak about creativity, process, and self-evolution.

Why It Matters

It showcases an artist choosing intention over mass volume: shorter tracklist, maintained theme. It marries cultural roots (via language and titles) with universally relatable themes (identity, place, peace). It positions Ebreezy as someone to watch: creative, reflective, and unafraid of nuance. In a music landscape often driven by singles and streaming fluff, H.I.K.I stands out as a cohesive body of work.

Final Thoughts

H.I.K.I is more than an album—it is a statement. Through the lens of “High Inspired Kept Kingdom Instincts,” Ebreezy invites listeners into his world: one shaped by thought, culture, place, and purpose. Whether you’re drawn to rich lyricism, cross-cultural texture, or just good music that has something to say, this project is worth exploring.

By the Tanzanian

The Soundtrack of Tanzania: A Musical Experience Spread Over A Period of 15 Years Filled With Concerts and Music Festivals

By Anne Tendwa

In the past 15 years, Tanzania has undergone a paradigm shift, one that has seen this nation full of musical prospects metamorphosize into one that hosts numerous concerts and music festivals overflowing with beats around the beautiful country. From the white sandy beaches of Zanzibar to the lively urban center of Dar es Salaam, the music of this African region has transformed into a rich tapestry of culture and exuberance.

This was 15 years back; I remember Tanzania music as a rich diverse game that was and still is, a well- kept secret. Today, it is like there is a never-ending stream of music festivals in the country that can be resourcefully termed as – ‘press play. The emergence of Bongo Flava, a genre that incorporates hip hop with traditional Tanzanian music, has won the hearts of many. Stars like Diamond Platnumz and Vanessa Mdee have become a global phenomenon and not just in Africa which has helped promote the music of Tanzania in the world.

The music festivals in Tanzania take place for the sake of people; they are people’s enjoyment and participation events. Take Sauti za Busara festival in Zanzibar. An African Music Showcase Festival held annually; the event attracts thousands of revelers from every nook and cranny of the world. Imagine this: Picture the sun glimmering above the blue Indian ocean, the sound of drums in the distance accompanied with soft warm winds and images of people dressed in traditional clothes dancing to the music. It is a treat to the eyes and ears but that is just one indication of how exactly such celebrations have turned out to be a stew of many cultures.

The Nyama Choma Festival is an experience of rhythm-satisfying appétit and music in dappled dining, celebrating the time-honored Tanzanian culinary art of grilled meat with live performances. Who knew that chomping grilled meat down with rhythm could be this much soothing? This is culinary art combining with musical prowess to create an environment whereby even the shyest of souls find themselves dancing uninhibitedly.

Among the most exciting facets of the emerging music scene in Tanzania is its support for nurturing new talent. Many music awards, such as the Tanzania Music Awards, are often used almost exclusively as launch pads for new artists. However, these festivals also provide a platform for fresh faces who love music in addition to established stars. This has been an excellent vehicle for local talent to shine and audiences to identify a real future star before they take center stage in the wider world of music.

All of a sudden, the opening up of digital platforms means that the reach of impressively structured music by artists can now cross the globe. Local acts enjoy the chance to gain rapid popularity, thanks to overnight hits on social media. This democratized music means that anyone with a little bit of imagination and a true driving passion can achieve their dreams.

Certainly, this journey has not gone without its ups and downs. The pandemic blew the music industry backward, with concerts and festivals coming to a halt in 2020. But it is the very fiber of Tanzanian culture that has prevailed in such dry eras. Online concerts and performances were rendered a better option to keep the show rolling from the confines of one’s living room.

The future conditions for concerts and music festivals in Tanzania seem to be shining ahead and brighter. There looks to be much more interest in the local music and preservation of the place’s heritage, so the ensuing decade seems to promise great joy.

Girl Power: Songstress On The Rise

The Musical scene in Tanzania has gradually developed in the years. More and more talent is being discovered through the social media platforms such as Soundcloud, Audiomack and Spotify. These platforms have played a major role in the lives of various young female artists, who’ve come to shine and there’s no sign of letting go of the spotlight.

The Musical scene in Tanzania has gradually developed in the years. More and more talent is being discovered through the social media platforms such as Soundcloud, Audiomack and Spotify. These platforms have played a major role in the lives of various young female artists, who’ve come to shine and there’s no sign of letting go of the spotlight.

NAOMISIA

The 20 year old songstress came into the musical scene in 2016 during her first live performance at the alternative nights in Dar-Es-Salaam. Her music prior to that was largely played in soundcloud with hit songs such as “with you” and features from Bar Es Salaam among others. The growing fan base from soundcloud enabled her to grow as a well-known young artist in Dar-Es-Salaam.

‘The Resident cool girl’ continues to shine brighter with the accomplishment of her first single titled “Mishe” in 2018 which was received by the listeners all over Tanzania and outside with so much love.

The beautiful songstress continues to capture our hearts and ears with the news of her new upcoming projects such as the new single titled ‘kama kawa’ and her debuting EP coming out soon. Be sure to look out for Naomisia on all social media platforms to keep up with the uprising star

TURUNESH

The beautiful artiste started off from soundcloud with her self-titled EP IN 2016 which gave her a tremendous fan base online.

Her second self-titled album in 2017, pushed her over the skies. With heartwarming melodies such as ‘midnight’ to the tearful ‘weary’, Turunesh proved that she’s here to make beautiful soothing music.

Currently, she has released singles titled ‘Eti’, ‘Arewa’, ‘Malkia’ all paying homage to her Swahili love ballad skills. The year 2019, has

been a wonderful year so far for the local artist, with the welcoming of her new album ‘Coastal Cider’. Turunesh continues to shine and we are here for it.

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Naitwa Salma

Sista dada, the beautiful talented singer, songwriter and poet. Her majestic songs tell a story of intimate love of life, love of one another, peace and all the above . The words expressed in every song entail a deeper meaning leaving the listener with the need to hear more.

The sounds and rhythm that are a part of Naitwa Salma’s music, can be described as earthly Erykah Badu tones. From her well known song titled “Pumzi”, one can feel such immense ease when listening to her. Sista dada is found on soundcloud under the name ‘naitwasalma’. Be sure to give her a listen if you love good music.

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Best Tanzanian Oldies Of All Times

Whenever anyone feels happy, sad, angry and lonely, we always turn to music to express ourselves. The feeling we get from music makes the world be a better and cheerful

Whenever anyone feels happy, sad, angry and lonely, we always turn to music to express ourselves. The feeling we get from music makes the world be a better and cheerful place that it makes everything else fade away. To think that we only used to listen to music only from radios, it doesn’t seem like it in today’s world. If we look back to the early 2000’s, many Tanzanian musician gave us many hits that kept us entertained even though they didn’t have the best equipments to record and produce music. All those things didn’t matter then since all you had to have was your voice and a nice band to back you up. With that, here are some of the best oldies that still make you wanna dance. 


10. Zeze by TID

This song was the jam back in 2015. Whenever you went out you were sure to hear this song playing somewhere whether it’s a bar or a kiosk. TID is a Bongo Flava musician who does R&B and made his solo debut at the age of 21. Although Zeze was not his first single, it sure made him more famous. For those who don’t know what zeze means, it’s an African music instrument that looks like a banjo but its not. It has no official English name that I know of but if it does well my bad. Anyway, this song which is all about romance was the hit back then that it was included in the Global soul. 


9. Cinderella by Ali Kiba

You may think the song is about a fairytale story like Cinderella’s. It isn’t but whatever the case no one cared and I don’t think many even knew. It’s the flow of the music that got to me and many others that we could not stop our selves from singing along whenever it came on the television and radio. This song gave Ali Kiba the recognition that he needed and well he is now a very successful musician in Tanzania and he gave us more and more music that he got nicknamed King Kiba. Well how about that. 


8. Zali la mentali by Professor Jay.

Although he is very engaged with politics nowadays, Prof. Jay gave us a gem known as Zali la mentali. This hip-hop song was very and I mean very well written and produced that it isn’t forgotten to this day. If you haven’t listened to it yet, well you should and watch the video too because its more entertaining that way. The message portrayed in this song is that it doesn’t matter what financial status you have to fall in love. Juma nature was featured in this song and made it more hardcore. 


7. Starehe by Ferooz

Ferooz featured Professor Jay in this song and it was a hit. This R&B and hip-hop song smashed the records. It has a great tune that got stuck in your head for hours. But what really made this song become famous was the message in it. This guy managed to educate a lot of people about how its easy to get AIDS when you just have fun without protection. With one song he portrayed a lot of what it’s like to not care for oneself while AIDS is still at large. This was when this virus was a bigger problem to the nation. At least he was able to educate and gives us a banger at the same time.


6. Hakuna Kulala by Juma Nature.

Sir Nature as many call him, gave us a lot of bangers back in 2000’s and he still brings heat in his songs till today. One of the many songs that got a lot of good responses is Hakuna Kulala. It means no sleeping. The song is about having fun dancing and clubbing that sleeping is not allowed even though you are hungry. He literally said so in this song. It became a big hit in clubs, parties and any place that dancing is needed. This song brought people together of all ages. Am sure many local clubs and bars still play this song to give the people a little bit of the best of bongo flava there is. 


5. Siku hazigandi by Lady Jay Dee.

With everything that happens in our world, everyone tends to need something to hold on and give them the push they need. This song was it to so many people back in 2007.  

This is one of the greatest songs produced in Tanzania. It has everything needed in a work of art that many artists don’t work on. Lady Jay Dee wrote this song for a particular audience that is women mostly but the message portrayed can be for anyone. The song title translates to days don’t stay stagnant and with those words alone, you get the reason this song became a hit.


4. Mama yangu by Banana Zoro.

Even though we didn’t get a lot of songs from him, Mr. Zoro did give us one of the best songs in the history of bongo flava. The song mama yangu means my mother, of course. He talked about his mother how she is the light and shield in his life. He showed the importance of mothers to all of us and that we should truly appreciate them and show them love and respect they need. The lyrics of this song added with the beat, made this one of the best songs between 2007 and 2010. 


3. Uko wapi by Ray C.

Another bongo flava that was a major hit during the 2000’s. Ray C was one of the queens of bongo flava in Tanzania. She gave us great songs that were played a lot on the radio and the television. This song was about finding her love all over the world. The video was even taken in a western country. Apart from singing, she was also known for belly dancing. It increased her fame and in that case her songs also got a lot of attention. 


2. Usijaribu by Ay.

Well, when it comes to Hip-hop in Tanzania, this mastermind is said to be the first musicians to commercialize it and be successful at that. With this song, AY was able to win two awards in 2007 from different award shows. This song captured a lot of attention since it was very hard to miss and it entertained all genders and ages despite being hardcore. I say this because when I was growing up, I was surrounded with women who didn’t prefer hip hop but since AY also sings bongo flava, his hardcore songs were also appreciated by all. Anyway, this song was among the many hits back then.


1. Ingekuwa vipi by Mwana FA.

This is the song that introduced Mwana FA as a solo artist and made him among the best bongo flava and hip-hop artists in Tanzania. He sang this song asking what if different things happened in a different way like if Dully Sykes (another Tanzanian musician) sang hardcore or would RnB be if not for Lady jay dee. I mean the whole song makes one think of different scenarios that could happen if it happened differently. Although some of the things said where obviously jokes but it still became a hit. With that said, if you do want to listen to old songs this should be in the list.


The songs today may have more flair and pizzazz but they can never take the greatness given by these oldies which by the way will still keep rocking as long as there are people who still keep listening to them.

Rayvanny Exits WCB

Raymond Shaban Mwakyusa, better known by his stage name Rayvanny, is a Tanzanian musician, songwriter and recording artist who was signed under WCB Wasafi record label up until July 2022. 

Singer Rayvanny has formally departed Diamond Platnumz’s Wasafi Classic Baby (WCB) recordings Tanzania after months of denial.

On July 12th 2022, Rayvanny made the news, stating he was now concentrating on his record company, “Next Level Music,” and was eager to develop musical talent.

Rayvanny thanked Diamond Platnumz for giving him the chance to share his ability with the world in a two-minute video homage to his former employer.

Under WCB, Rayvanny has had what many can describe as a whirlwind career. With numerous hits under his belt such as “Tetema”, “Number One”, and “Te Amo”, the BET Viewer’s Choice Best New International Act 2017 award, the world is really his oyster and we are more than excited to see what happens next for this Mbeya native. 

“My respect to you Diamond Platnumz will be forever, God bless you Diamond. But there comes a time when a child goes out to start their own life and bring back respect to his family. Now it is my time to leave, and grow other talents at my record label, Next Level Music,” he said.

According to media accounts, Rayvanny had not yet been able to raise the money needed to buy out the remaining terms of his allegedly 10-year contract at the time, hence his exit had not yet taken place.

According to claims made by Tanzania’s well-known social media influencer and Clouds FM radio host Mwijaku, Diamond wanted $829,383 from Rayvanny in order to let him leave the label.

However, it appears that the parties have come to a cordial understanding as seen by Diamond’s response on Rayvanny’s Instagram post about his departure.


By Anne Tendwa