Diamond’s Wasafi records to replace Harmonize, Rayvanny with new signees
Tanzanian singer Diamond Platnumz’s record label Wasafi Classic Baby (WCB) appears to be working on a plan to sign in two new artistes, to replace former signees Harmonize and Rayvanny.
According to Morogoro South MP Babu Tale, who is also a talent manager at the record label, this time round the new signees will have two witnesses from Copyright Society of Tanzania (Cosota) and Barasa la Sanaa la Taifa (Basata).
This perhaps is to ensure openness and fairness when it comes to signing of a contract between WCB and an artiste, given past incidents where Harmonize and Rayvanny had to pay huge lumpsums to exit the label.
“Wasafi records will very soon sign two new artistes. This time though each artiste will have two witnesses from Cosota na Basata. For us music is business and we are committed to this course,” Babu Tale said.
Currently singer Zuchu, Mbosso and Lavalava are the remaining signed artistes at WCB. Harmonize left in 2018 after a fierce battle between him and his boss.
When he forced his way out in 2018, to form his Konde Gang Record label, Harmonize is said to have paid WCB Tsh500 million (Sh24 million) to terminate his 10-year contract under which he had only served four years. Harmonize claimed the label that made him was exploiting him and that he had opted to go solo.
When Harmonize left, Diamond was dejected. He had publicly stated that the singer, who was the first artiste to be signed by WCB, was the highest income generator after him. Diamond usually takes up to 60 per cent of total revenue from his signed artistes while the artiste is left with 40 per cent.
Months later, after Harmonize left, Rich Mavoko followed suit but the label could not let him walk away freely. Mavoko was forced to launch a case with the Tanzania music and arts regulatory body Basata, terming the contract as exploitative. Upon review of the contract, Basata cancelled the recording deal, rendering Mavoko a free artiste.
Rayvanny is the latest artiste to quit WCB, going on to form Next Level record label. But his exit was also not an easy one. After months of negotiation Rayvanny is claimed to have paid Diamond Sh50 million to free himself from the contract he signed. He also stated that the terms of his contract were no longer favourable.
Rayvanny’s exit was a huge blow to WCB as he generated over Sh2 million monthly for the label from music streams and shows.