Tanzanian superstar Diamond Platnumz has revealed the deliberate shift in his musical approach that has propelled him from regional fame to international stardom.
In a candid interview with Billboard, the Bongo Flava icon shared how his career began with emotional, heart-wrenching ballads sung in Swahili, a style that endeared him to his East African fanbase but presented barriers on the global stage.
“I used to do a lot of heartbroken songs, that’s how I came up in the game,” Diamond said. “People loved me because of the way I write. It makes people cry, like I was relieving them.”
However, the very thing that made him beloved at home became a limiting factor internationally.
“Those songs were limiting me because, first of all, for a person to understand what I’m talking about, they have to understand my language,” he explained.
Recognizing the need to connect with a wider, global audience, Diamond made a bold creative pivot. He began crafting joyful, dance-centric songs, upbeat party anthems designed not just for East Africa but for the world.
“If I want to conquer the global market, I need to find how to gain the whole global market,” he said. “People want to be happy, people want to have fun.”
That evolution in sound coupled with high-energy dance challenges and collaborations with international stars has helped Diamond Platnumz extend his reach far beyond Africa. But for him, success is not just about collaboration, it’s about intentionality.
Speaking on his recent work with American artists, Diamond emphasized the importance of sending only top-tier music when reaching out for features.
“If I know I can send a song to Chris Brown and Chris Brown can do it, why should I send him a trash song?” he asked. “I have to get a proper, global hit so that when we do it, we achieve that goal. Then it makes it easier next time for Chris Brown to trust you to do another song.”
The artist, born Nasibu Abdul Juma Issack, insists that mutual respect between collaborators is key and that trust begins with the music itself.
“If I don’t trust the song, I don’t send it to an artist,” he said plainly.
by queen serem
