JI TO RELEASE SONG RECORDED IN KENYA

Tanzanian singer JI who is famed for his Kidato Kimoja hit song said he is ready to drop more hits.
The bongo flava star who has been in the country has kept a low profile but has been tucked away in a Kenyan studio working on new material.
The singer said he is on more songs with a plethora of Kenyan producers and will release them soon after the ongoing World Cup ends.
JI added that 10 songs are ready, done and dusted for his yet to be released album that is set to feature a total of 14 singles.
The singer who has been in the country also took time off to visit with a childrens home, El Toto, together with Kenyan rapper Jaguar.

AY PUTS ON ROLE MODEL FACE FOR YOUTH

Bongo Flava star Amwbene Yessaya whose stage name is simply AY will take part in a special music concert dubbed Altered Minds to be held at Zhong Hua Garden hall in Dar es Salaam on Friday.
The Altered Minds is a movement under the umbrella of Social Concern Agency aimed at bringing about radical and positive change among the youth in the society. It involves talk shows, music and fun to convey messages to the youth in order to encourage positive thinking.
The theme for the Friday event is How to Become Your Own Role Model.

TPF JUDGE TO LAUNCH ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY

The Tusker Project Fame judge Hermes Bariki known to many as producer Hermy B is planning on launching an entertainment company called B Hitz early next year.
He will be joining hands with Tanzanian rappers AY and Mwana FA in what Hermy says will redefine the whole entertainment thing.
During the show third season of the show, Hermes was pissed off when Kenyan contestant Debarl got the boot. Maybe he might just sigh him up.

TANZANIAN RAPPER RISKS ARREST FOR SHOWING OFF WITH AK47

Self proclaimed leader of the Tanzanian hip-hop group TMK Wanaume, Amani James Temba aka Mheshimiwa Temba, doesn’t mind that his photo of him wielding an AK47 rifle is making Internet rounds.
Temba who took the photo in Monrovia, Liberia in August, when he was in the city during the First Anniversary Independence celebrations says the photos leaked after he forgot his flashdisk in the office where he works.
Keep it here for any details of when the hiphop hard knock gets a visit from the police.

FIRST TANZANIAN RAPPER ON BET SPEAKS OUT

Rapper Gsan of the group X Plastaz from Arusha, Tanzania, is representing Africa in this year's edition of the BET Hip Hop Awards, broadcast on BET (Black Entertainment Television) in the USA.
The annual BET Hip Hop Awards are watched by millions of hip hop fans across the United States. Especially the part of the show in which Gsan participates, titled the BET Hip Hop Awards cypher, is highly anticipated as it's a true gathering of giants in rap music.
The inclusion of X Plastaz in this year's BET Hip Hop Awards came about when BET contacted X Plastaz, after seeing their music video 'Nini dhambi kwa mwenye dhiki' on the Youtube website.
'Nini dhambi' which has drawn over 400.000 views is one of the most popular East African music videos on the web. Gsan flew out to Brooklyn, New York where the cypher was pre-recorded in an empty factory building.
His contribution was a rap in Swahili over an old school loop, cut up by dj Premier. While Swahili language hip hop was something new for the other artists, KRS One and Premier were full of love for the African input into this year's cypher. After recording the cypher, Gsan attended the Awards ceremony which took place in Atlanta on October 10, and was broadcast October 27.
Says Gsan in an interview with Emcee Africa presenter Lee Kasumba: "Well, the Cypher segment was recorded in New York before the actual award ceremony. For me, it was just amazing to be there with people like Eminem, KRS One, DJ Premier playing the beats, and being able to showcase what I had. Many people were blown away with what I did and asked me why I rhymed in Swahili ‘cause they wanted to understand. I was just like ‘English is not my first language, I speak it, I love it but you will be able to mess me up if I rhyme in English’.

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MEET THE TANZANIANS

ILLUMINATA RWELAMIRA - Tanzania
Illuminata, 28, loves that she is very diplomatic in her dealings with people. She is also honest but thinks that perhaps she is too forgiving at times and thus can be easily taken for granted. She is 5th in line in a family of 3 boys and 4 girls.



CAROLINE ULIWA – Tanzania
Caroline, 22, finds it interesting that her friends seem to win her trust and confide in her – her friends teasingly call her ‘Oprah’ as she always has a ready ear for all. She says that she is learning to believe in herself a little more. She is the eldest in her family and has 2 siblings: 1 brother and 1 sister.



KELVIN STEPHEN - Tanzania
Kelvin, 24, was inspired to pursue a musical career by his father who is a pianist. He learnt to play the piano from his father and is currently mastering the guitar in music school. He has, however, never performed before (unless family gatherings count… he says). He is the middle child in a family of 3 and has 1 older sister and 1 younger brother.