Where are these Bongo flava divas?

Dar es Salaam. The entertainment world is quite a ruthless place, devoid of emotional attachments where the rule of the concrete jungle applies to the dot.

And as some have summed it up it is a graveyard of wannabe artistes who just didn’t make the grades.

At the turn of the millennium, several young women joined the Bong Flava fray serenading audiences with their soothing vocals and rhymes.

With Bongo Flava gaining strides with a wider fan base across Africa many of these female artistes have descended into oblivion without any signs of a renaissance. This was not part of the script and the whole plan seems to have gone astray.

Though no proper reason can be put forward for this trend it is quite clear that they found the male dominated industry too hot to handle.

Maunda Zorro

Her origins from a musical family were an envy of many up and coming artistes in the country.

Her brother Banana Zorro was already a household name and her father Zahir Zorro a music legend in Tanzania’s music should have been a basis of a successful career.

Maunda’s early days were quite hilarious with hits ‘Mapenzi ya Wawili’, ‘Nataka Niwe Wako’ becoming staples on the radio countrywide.

But maybe what was supposed to be an advantage turned into a burden and Maunda would soon crumble under the weight of her family name.

She just couldn’t replicate the success her brother and dad were enjoying with the B-Band.

She has since kept her fans guessing as nothing musical seems to be going her way.

Unique Sisters

They were sisters who came on the Bongo Flava seen before Facebook and Tweeter to become one the most favourite female groups in Tanzania.

To date it is not clear whether they left music or music left them, their attempt at a comeback was mere cameo with a track ‘Club Banger’ which was recorded at AM records.

And just like in Maunda’s case, not even their father’s fame could save them from a freefall. Could this be another unique case?

Hafsa Kazinja

She hit the big scene in a collabo effort titled ‘Pressure’ with Banana Zorro a song that became an instant success.

She soon became one of the most sought after female performer, but maybe it was too early to brand her as the new kid on the bloc.

Her other single Mashala was rather a lukewarm attempt which failed to gain a similar amount of airplay.

She was perhaps a victim of her own success, word has it that she is still into music but not much seems to be cooking in her kitchen.

Nakaya Sumari

She was a product of the first edition of talent search show Tusker Project Fame where she lasted five weeks before her eviction.

After the show, Nakaaya returned to Tanzania to record her first album.

In February 2008, she released her debut album, ‘Nervous Conditions’. The album was released independently and sold quite well.

The first single, Malaika did well on radio, but the follow-up single, Mr. Politician was a huge hit across East Africa making her very popular.

The single earned her a nomination at the inaugural MTV Africa Music Awards in 2008.

Not many can tell what really happened to the versatile singer; she moved to Arusha, gained weight and was involved in a terrible road accident.

Motherhood followed and she has since relocated back to Dar es Salaam.

K-Lynn

Her sound was freshening considering the fact that there were very few female musicians coming off the conveyor belt.

Jacqueline Ntuyabaliwe aka K-Lynn is believed to have started her music in 1997 with the Tanzanites. She performed as one of the lead vocalist for three years.

In 2000, she was crowned Miss Tanzania and represented the country at the Miss World.

In 2004 she released her first solo album with a hit single ‘Nalia kwa Furaha’.

Three years later this was followed by ‘Crazy over You’ which was also the title of the first hit single off the album.

After almost 10 years in music she made a switch to interior design. Family life set in and she is now married to entrepreneur Reginald Mengi , they have twin sons.

Dataz

Dataz first started performing with fellow female rapper Bad G, while they performed together for a period of time the two went into pursuing solo careers.

Her first single “Kitimtim” topped the charts on several radio stations. Dataz’s debut was a welcome sign, an announcement that a female MC was now ready to take over.

Songs such as ‘Mwanaume Wa Mtu’ featuring Joan earned her a huge following across the country.

Word in the street has it that she decided to pursue a different career path after the going got tough. There were rumours at one point that she was employed by a local bank, Dar es Salaam. It is not clear whether she will ever get back to the stage to perform again.

Vumilia

I was listening to radio the other day when the presenter played ‘Utanikumbuka’ by Vumilia.

Even with years down the road the song still sounds fresh and entertaining as it was several years ago.

It is at this point that the obvious question comes into play; where is Vumilia?

After her debut which produced songs like ‘Utanikumbuka’ and ‘Tatizo Umasikini’, Vumi as she is popularly known joined Kemondo Band. The last time I watched her was at a charity gig by Mwanamakuka, women’s group in 2013. Word has it that she has gone sole with a couple of corporate gigs in the city to pay her bills.

Baby Madaha

Bongo Star Search has on many occasion been credited with rise of certain stars.

After the 2008 eight season there was a unanimous feeling that a new star in Baby Madaha had been born, one that was meant to take the industry by storm.

The album launch under the management of Pilipili enetratinment was one that many artistes today could only dream about.

But that was just about it, apart from some deals in Kenya, Baby Madaha never lived up to the tag. Not much has been heard about her in recent years but it is obvious that her days in Bongo Flava are over.

Ray C

She has rocked headlines in recent years but for very unmusical reasons. When Ray C made her debut she became one of the defining faces of Bongo Flava with hits such as ‘Na Wewe Milele’ which made her a household name.

Her romance with Big Brother Africa contestant Mwisho Mwampamba was one of the most published affairs in the pre-social media era.

Years of success came with a fair share of trouble as the singer descended into substance abuse that almost cost her life. The entertainer’s doom had taken its toll on her. It took President Kikwete’s intervention to rescue her from the melancholy of drug abuse.

Though she is considered to be safe right now, her music seems to have taken a hit even with word that she has an album in the waiting.

Physically Ray C isn’t the same diva that once rocked stages with show stopping performances.

Her issues with weight at a certain point added credence to the pessimists’ views who believe she can never be the same again!

Her attempt towards a return to the big stage has so far been lukewarm at a time when other talent such as Nandy, Maua Summer, Malaika and others seem to have taken over the patch.