Tanzania’s renowned rapper, who has undoubtedly paved way for Bongo Flava music to stretch beyond the local boundaries, AY has praised President Kagame Paul for his speed to the development of the country.
Ambwene Yessayah a.k.a A.Y, jetted in the country on Monday 1 February to visit his Rwanda and his relatives in Kigali.
The ‘Zigo Remix’ hitmaker, disclosed the information in an exclusive interview with IGIHE.
“Kagame has brought positive change in Rwanda, EAC and Africa in general. We need Africa we such leaders with vision to turn Africa into a better place,” says the rapper.
He added our president Magufuli is all bringing change like cleanliness in Tanzania and curbing down corruption on a high speed of course he must have borrowed a leaf from Kagame.
A.Y has a new collaboration with the MTV EMA 2015 Best Worldwide Act Africa/India winner Diamond Platnumz.
The new collaboration is an addition to his already successful list of songs which have done well internationally including ‘Touch Me Touch Me’ which features Sean Kingston and Ms Triniti as well as ‘Speak with Your Body’ which features Romeo and Lamyia Good from the US.
During mid December last year, the rapper whose birth name is Ambwene Yessayah was joined by Diamond in South Africa to shoot the video and was directed by Alessio Bettocchi of Studio Space Pictures.
The company is no stranger in making videos with the highest quality for A-list musicians in Africa including Victoria Kimani’s Show, The Saga by Anati, Sim Dope by AKA, Thanks for Coming by Mwana FA etc.
In less than 14 days the video has already attracted more than 1 584 662 views on YouTube.
AY says he decided to do a video for Zigo Remix because 2016 is the year that he has decided to introduce a new style of work in Bongo Flava music especially in releasing music videos.
He strongly believes that this will have a ripple effect and create a revolution like the one he started previously which had him perform abroad and have secure successful international collaborations.
The rapper adds that he decided to collaborate with Diamond on Zigo Remix because he felt that it is better to feature a fellow Tanzanian in an attempt to make Bongo Flava music stronger without being dependent on musicians from abroad.
“This is just a sign to show that we Tanzanians can do it all by ourselves or as the people of East Africa and we can create something as big as what other people do,” he says.
Zigo retains the same good and ear-catching beat created by Nahreel (who in 2015 produced more hits than any other producer in East Africa), but the vocals on the remix are mixed by Hermy B from B’Hits Music Group along with, MJ Records’ producer, Marco Chali.
Ambwene Yessayah famously known as AY is one of the most highly respectable rappers in East Africa. He has won a total of 25 awards. Apart from having multiple Kilimanjaro awards in Tanzania, he is also the winner Channel O Music Awards and has been nominated for Kora and MTV MAMA. He is the rapper with most hit singles and collaborations through being featured by most East African musicians.
Furthermore, apart from being the artist behind the success of other Tanzanian acts, the rapper who was nicknamed ‘Mzee wa Commercial’ by one of the oldest producers in the game, P-Funk Majani, AY is revered because of his contribution to boost most of other Kenyan artists’ names such as Avril, Jaguar and others.
In January 2016, he was awarded with the honorary Lifetime Achievement Award by the Mseto radio program on Radio Citizen/Citizen TV (Kenya) for his noteworthy contribution to the development of East African music.
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