Rayvanny fined Sh2.5 million by Wasafi for performing at Nandy's concert

ELIZABETH NGIGI Lifestyle, Entertainment Journalist

03 August 2022

• Rayvanny was charged TSh800 million (KSh40 million) to terminate his contract.

• Rayvanny has not been cleared to perform at any concert until he fully terminates his contract with Diamond's record label.

Former Wasafi signee Rayvanny allegedly has been charged another TSh50 million (KSh2.5 million) for going against their contract.

According to Tanzanian media, Rayvanny, who ditched Wasafi a month ago, has not been cleared to perform at any concert until he fully terminates his contract with Diamond's record label.

Rayvanny was charged TSh800 million (KSh40 million) to terminate his contract.

He will now be forced to pay TSh50 million more after performing at Nandy's festival last month.

"Rayvanny went to seek help from Basata because of the amount of money he was charged by Wasafi," the report says.

"He was not supposed to perform at any concert before he was cleared by Wasafi record label, but he went ahead and performed at Nandy's event."

Diamond recently told DW Africa that signees quit his label because they fail to honour the contract regulations.

"We don't just sign artistes, we make sure we transform their music into business and make them very rich," Diamond said.

"That is why artistes signed under Wasafi become big artistes. Some of them after we have done that, now want to take it from us by force. They want to be given the whole amount of money they get while working under Wasafi."

In 2020, after Rich Mavoko quit the label, his sister said he was asked by Diamond Platnumz to pay Tsh500 million (Sh23 million) to be allowed to terminate the contract with the label.

Mavoko expressed discontent with his contract, which he termed as "exploitative and malicious", and refused to pay the money.

The tussles ended up at the Tanzania Music Regulatory Board, Basata, which helped both parties arrive at an amicable solution. Diamond said that there are some who plan to quit in secrecy but his management is tight.

"How can that happen while people invested money to start the label?" he said.

Diamond said he invested more than half Tsh500 million to run such a business.

For Harmonize, Diamond said the late President Magufuli had to intervene. Harmonize reportedly sold his three houses and a piece of land to raise the money.

The compensation was to allow him full rights ownership to the songs he did under WCB. "I could have become a farmer but I chose to invest in the music business so that my return can come back," Diamond said.

"Those artists have become rich through us since we showed them how to invest their money. Singing without investment is nothing," he added.