When it comes to talent representing East Africa, there have been artists who have emerged and displayed what they have to offer. From the likes of Diamond Platniumz to Sauti Sol, who has been heavily representing the space in today's musical landscape, there has been a surface of the music that has seen a new generation of artists such as Karun, Xenia Manasseh, Zuchu, to name a few.
Rayvanny is one of the players who cemented his presence by waving the East African flag through his mentor Diamond Platniumz, who came through via his Wasafi, which he signed back in 2016. From that moment on, his nearly decade-long career has seen him grow and rise above anything that has been expected from him, taking his musical sounds of Bongo Flavour and more beyond the region and placing them on a global scale.
He has continuously evolved and expanded his musical talent beyond what would have been expected from him. Describing his sound as "music for the world," the statement could not be truer, as he is a BET Award winner and the first African artist to perform on the MTV EMA stage. Not to mention, he has boasted collaborations from all across the African continent and beyond.
Now stepping into the next phase of his career, he launched his record label, NEXT LEVEL MUSIC, to continue to grow within his musical journey and search for and foster the next generation of talent.
How would you sum up how your music career began?
I started doing music when I was still in school. There was a freestyle competition because I was a rapper back in the day. So, I went to freestyle competitions, and this was in 2011. I won in my city, but that competition was all around Tanzania. So, when they found those winners from different cities, we went for the final, and I was the winner. So the people who were the supervisors took me to a studio, and then I met the label Tip Top connection, where I was there for three or four years, and I moved to Wasafi. That was in 2016 when I dropped my first song, Kwetu, which was when I started gaining popularity.
Please speak to us about being from Tanzania and representing the country in the way in which you have with your music.
First of all, I'm so proud of my country, and I'm so proud to represent my country everywhere I go. Because it's not only for me, it is for the industry; big shout out to Diamond Platinumz, my brother. I'm so happy to expose my music and have people listen to my sound. But what I'm the most proud of is that my music represents my country everywhere I go. I like to incorporate or collaborate with different musicians from around the world. My mind is about more than just making music for East Africa or my country. I must do music for the world so that the world can understand what we have back home. I'm not doing it for myself because when our music industry is recognized worldwide, you know, it's a good business for the generation of my country. And that's what I'm fighting every day: I have to do it and represent the culture. So, representing my country worldwide is a good feeling.
Speaking of going international, you've collaborated with a variety of artists from across the world. One of your more recent collaborations was with US rapper DreamDoll. How did that come about?
I dropped Shake Shake with DreamDoll. My queen from the US, she's from New York. I was in LA, and one of my friends was playing music, and I heard a song of hers playing. I just liked what she was doing and wanted to walk with her. My friend put us in touch and let her know I was a fan of her stuff, and she asked if he could share some of my stuff with her. So, I just sent her the track, and we managed to get it. So that's how the song came about,
How have you been cultivating your music and expanding it beyond the expected sounds of what people expect coming out of Tanzania?
Music to me is a universal language, and if you say you're doing Bongo flavour, or you're doing Afrobeat, or whatever style of music. For myself, I'm doing worldwide music because my music is like a fusion of everything. You know, you can hear Afrobeat in it. You can have Bongo flavour, whatever; I mix everything and do something for the whole world. I can make music in my own language, but I want the whole world to relate to that sound, so I'm chopping different sounds from different parts of the word. I don't want to. I don't want to put my music in a category. I like all the sounds from Africa, from America, from everywhere. What I like right now is the whole world is paying attention tour music to our African music. I'm not a musician from Tanzania. I'm a worldwide musician from Tanzania. I'm not doing not just one category of music.
You formed Next Level Music two years ago. What has that experience been like, and how did you get to the stage where you are in your career now?
To get to this stage, I have to give thanks to God first of all. They are life stages; for me, it's been about growth. I was signed to a label and found that when you grow up musically, you must move on and help others. The point I am right now is that I've had help from people who have been a part of my journey, picking me up and getting me to this stage. And from here, I'm grown enough to lift other musicians and help other talents from the streets. In addition to chasing my dreams, I need my free space. I have to see how I want to be and where I want to go. So it's all about growth and stages in life, and you have to move from one place to another. I'm so happy, and I'm so proud of myself at this stage. I was on a label, and now I'm independent, and I have to help other talents from the streets and move forward in my career.
There is so much new talent coming out of East Africa, and as somebody who is in the position now to be looking at new talents and artists to help in the same way you received help at the beginning of your career, what do you look for in new talent?
First, I'm looking for talent; I can always see something when I look at an artist, and I recognize that there is a talent within them. However, discipline is also essential because you can have the talent, not the discipline you need. Having a spirit of hard work is one of the things that I consider, but this new generation has different ideas. They are on the internet, they see things, and they take in so much stuff online, and they take those things and interpret them in their way. We need to have new blood and fresh minds because if we want to move forward and our industry to be big and grow, we have to look for this new talent. It's not only us that can take it to the next level, so we need these new kids. There is so much talent out there, and it's untapped. They don't have the resources to chase their dreams, so we have to open more Next Levels to motivate them and help their lives. It's our responsibility, and we must help these kids.
In everything you have experienced in navigating your career and staying true to who you are as an artist, what would you say has helped you stay true to the core of who Rayvanny is throughout everything?
I believe in God. I'm a god believer, and being a a god believer, when I have a plan, when I have a focus, of course, I can listen to different advice that I that I get, but I'm that person that always follows my focus and believe in God, I think that's the key. There are a lot of obstacles you can face, a lot of stuff that can hold you back, or you can feel like you cannot do it anymore. There's that kind of feeling sometimes, but to me, nothing like that when I have my focus. When this is going to happen, it's going to happen. Nobody will tell me, you cannot do it, this is impossible, this is not good for you, this doesn't fit you., I always follow my focus and believe in God, and most of the time, it happens. Whenever I plan, it's always successful. So, I think that's the key when I have my focus: I follow my goals and believe in God.
What can we expect from you in this next chapter of your career with your new music and everything you have in store for the future?
Okay, I don't want to tell you now, but it's next level. Next-level shit like it's global, shows, performances, numbers, everything—next level. Just wait and see.
CREDITS
Photographer: Garry Carbon: @becauseimgarry
Assistant photographer: Reheem: @devantayj
BTS videographer: Sheldon: @worlmag
Creative Producer: Zekaria Al-Bostani: @zek.snaps
Project Manager: Nadia Muwanga: @diditforthegram
MUA: Niamh mcaleenan: makeupniamh___
Stylist: Rachel Onilude: @sinmistyles_
Journalist: Seneo Mwamba: @seneomwamba
Design: @deeds.studio (@manuch1m & @shalemalone)
Location: Blankbox studios: @blankboxstudio
