Biography

Rayvanny: The Tanzanian Ambassador of Bongo Flava

On November 14, 2021, on the stage of the MTV EMAs in Hungary, Rayvanny sang “Mama Tetema” alongside Maluma. Three years later, this boy from Mbeya is one of the most internationally recognized faces of bongo flava — a genre that fuses hip-hop, R&B, and Swahili rhythms. “It’s for my country, Tanzania, and the African music industry,” he said on stage (translated from English). His first victory, at the BET Awards in 2017 in Los Angeles — International Viewer’s Choice Award (Voted by the People) — had already made him the only Tanzanian artist to win this prize.

In Brief


Full Name	Raymond Shaban Mwakyusa
Stage Names	Rayvanny, nicknamed Vannyboy and Chui
Birth	August 22, 1993, Nzovwe (Mbeya Region), Tanzania
Origin	Tukuyu, Mbeya Region
Genre(s)	Bongo flava — a mix of hip-hop, R&B, and Swahili rhythms born in the streets of Dar es Salaam — , afro-pop
Roles	Singer, songwriter, dancer
Instruments	Vocals, piano, guitar, drums
Signature Works	“Kwetu”, “Tetema” (feat. Diamond Platnumz), “Mama Tetema” (with Maluma)
Awards	BET Awards 2017 — International Viewer’s Choice; Grammy nomination (Best Latin Pop Album, 2023); Disco de Oro for “Mama Tetema”

Key Dates

Year	Event
2011	Winner of a freestyle rap contest at Coco Beach, Dar es Salaam
2015	Signed with WCB Wasafi, Diamond Platnumz’s label
2016	“Kwetu”, first hit in East Africa; MTV Africa Music Awards nomination
2017	Victory at the BET Awards in Los Angeles (International Viewer’s Choice)
2019	“Tetema” feat. Diamond Platnumz, tens of millions of views on YouTube
2021	Creation of Next Level Music; “Mama Tetema” with Maluma; first African on stage at the MTV EMAs
2022	Left WCB Wasafi; “Mama Tetema” certified Disco de Oro by the RIAA

Journey: From Freestyle to International Bongo Flava

Raymond Shaban Mwakyusa grew up in Nzovwe, a neighborhood in Mbeya in southwestern Tanzania. As a passionate teenager, he discovered rap and practiced freestyle in the streets of Dar es Salaam. In 2011, still a high school student, he won a contest at Coco Beach. The following year, he joined the group Tip Top Connection and forged ties with other emerging musicians. In 2015, he signed with WCB Wasafi Records, the label of Diamond Platnumz — the most popular figure in Tanzanian music.

His first solo single, “Kwetu” (which means our house in Swahili), was released in 2016 and became an instant hit, earning him a nomination for the MTV Africa Music Awards 2016. He followed up with collaborations (“Salome” with Diamond Platnumz, a feature on Queen Darling’s “Kijuso”). In June 2017, his breakthrough exploded at the BET Awards in Los Angeles: the International Viewer’s Choice Award. According to The Citizen, he thus became the only Tanzanian artist to receive this prize and, behind Ugandan Eddy Kenzo (2015), the second East African crowned.

International consecration arrived with “Tetema” (2019), produced by S2Kizzy and featuring Diamond Platnumz — its video accumulated tens of millions of views. Then it was at a fashion show in Los Angeles that everything changed: Rayvanny noticed Maluma appreciating his music and sent him a message. “Brother, thank you for loving my song, I wished we could do something together,” he recounts in an interview (translated from English). The maneuver worked. Maluma released “Mama Tetema” in November 2021: the track appears on the album Don Juan, earned a Grammy nomination in the Best Latin Pop Album category, and became a Disco de Oro certified by the RIAA. On November 14, 2021, Maluma and Rayvanny opened the MTV EMAs on stage. “Music is a universal language, let’s keep supporting each other,” said Rayvanny (translated from English).

In March 2025, he told the Afrobeats Podcast by Ade Scope that Wizkid inspired his friendly departure from WCB: “I learned something from that, and I thought it wasn’t necessary to argue. Just believe in your talent” (translated from English). Regarding Diamond Platnumz, he added: “He is my brother. We spent an hour on the phone and I believe that with good communication, there is no need to fight” (translated from English).

Under his label Next Level Music, Rayvanny multiplied international collaborations: “Alo Alo” with Ghali and Lacrim, “Koroga” with Kizz Daniel. His successive projects — Sound From Africa (2021, 23 tracks), the EP Flowers (nominated for a Grammy in the Latin Pop Album category, 2020), New Chui, Flowers II, and The Big One (2024) — confirm his ability to renew his sound without losing his roots.

Major Works

Work	Year	Why It’s Essential
“Kwetu”	2016	First solo track, revealed Rayvanny in East Africa
“Tetema” feat. Diamond Platnumz	2019	Hit with tens of millions of views, key to international breakthrough
“Mama Tetema” with Maluma	2021	Historic performance at the MTV EMAs, certified Disco de Oro
Sound From Africa (album)	2021	First African artist to surpass 100 million streams on Boomplay

Legacy and Influence

Rayvanny contributed to inscribing bongo flava on the map of world music. By opening bridges between East Africa, France (Ghali, Lacrim), and Latin America (Maluma), he showed that the Tanzanian sound can dialogue with all currents without losing its root. His success — first African artist on the MTV EMAs stage, only Tanzanian to win a BET Award — offers a concrete precedent for young musicians in the region.