Diamond explains why he has Alikibas’ photo in his office
Bongo flava artiste Diamond Platinumz has explained why he has the patriot of his biggest music rival Alikiba on the wall of his Wasafi Classic Baby (WCB) recording label.
Diamond and Alikiba don’t see eye to eye in a longstanding rivalry since the Salome hitmaker made his breakthrough in the Eastern African showbiz.
Despite both of them always insisting that they have nothing against each other, countless times the two have been quoted throwing barbs at each other.
Last year during Chris Brown concert in Mombasa, for example, Alikiba accused Diamonds’ Salam of disconnecting his microphone from the back stage while he was performing.
However, despite the hate between the two Tanzanian artistes, one wouldn’t even dare imagine that you would find anything to do with Alikiba in Diamonds’ office, let alone his photo that is easily noticeable immediately you enter the premises in Dar es Salaam.
BONGO FLAVA
But according to Diamond, there is a good reason as to why Alikibas’ picture hangs on his office wall.
“Ile sio ofisi ya Diamond, Rich Mavoko, Harmonize, sio ofisi ya Tale (Babu Tale second manager), ni ofisi ya muziki wa Bongo Flava ambayo imeweka kuona ni kwa namna gani inaweza kuinua muziki wa Bongo Flava. Bongo Flava haikuletwa hapa tu pekee yangu na wana WCB, lakini kuna wasanii tofauti tofauti wana mchango wao katika muziki wa Bongo Flava, so tumeweka baadhi ambao wanamchango, tulitamani tuweke wengine wengi lakini nafasi isingetosha. Tumechagua wachache ambao wana mchango,” said Diamond during an interview with Clouds FM.
(This is not just an office that belongs to Diamond, Rich Mavoko, Harmonize or Babu Tale. It’s an office set up to uplift Bongo Flava. Bongo Flava didn’t come about for my sake or that of WCB. There are various artistes who’ve made a positive contribution to Bongo Flava. That’s why we’ve put up a few of their portraits. We would have loved to have many more portraits of such artistes, but we are short of space. We only chose a few who have made a big contribution.)
This year, the two will be battling out for the Best Male East African Artiste award at the AFRIMA, in a category that also includes Kenyan rapper Octoppizo.
