Tanzania issues worldwide ban on Diamond Platinumz

Tanzania’s biggest artist and renown music executive Diamond Platinumz has been banned from performing in his own country.

BASATA, the country’s National Arts Council says that it has banned Wasafi Music hotshots Diamond and Rayvanny from performing in Tanzania and outside the country indefinitely for flouting a directive by the council not to perform hit song Mwanza since its lyrics are ‘immoral and imconsisitent’ with the country’s national values.

The song’s tittle Mwanza means horny. As of 1.41pm Kenyan time the song had 5.4 million views on YouTube. The ban comes after the duo performed the song at the Wasafi Festival 2018 on November 27.

“On November 12, the council banned the song Mwanza and informed the performing artists Nasib Abdul (Diamond Platinumz) and Raymond Shaban Mwakusya (Rayvanny) of the decision but the duo has shown outright disregard of the council’s ban and has continued to perform the song most recently at the Wasafi Music Festival,” read a statement posted on the council’s official social media pages.

Baraza lawafungia rasmi Wasanii 'Diamond Platnumz' na 'Rayvanny' kujihusisha na shughuli za Sanaa kwa kukiuka maagizo ya Baraza baada ya kuendelea kuutumia wimbo wa 'Mwanza' kwenye tamasha… https://t.co/4NY57JPVmq

— Baraza la Sanaa la Taifa (BASATA) (@BasataTanzania) December 18, 2018

The council also announced the cancellation of the operation licence of the operating licence of The Wasafi Music Festival 2018.