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For several years, Diamond Platnumz has been at the helm of the entertainment scene in East Africa and has steadily expanded his reach to be a global superstar.
Lifting the lid on his steady rise to the top, the singer opened up on strategic moves, intentional actions and deliberate choices that he made to be where he is.
His steady rise to the top has come with its fair share of challenges in an industry flooded by talent where only the best make it.
In a candid interview with Billboard, the Tanzania singer opened up on some of the strategic moves he made which paid off handsomely, turning him from a regional star to a global icon with fans across the globe.
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The rise and rise of Diamond Platnumz
By singing songs that were resonated with his immediate audience and which borrowed heavily from his environment that most of his fans could relate with, Diamond made his entry into the world of entertainment.
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Diamond Platnumz
Emotional songs of heartbreak served in Swahili and packed with raw emotions, the realities of life and the disappointment that accompanies love for some when heartbreak comes along ushered him into the world of music.
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Ballads of daily struggles overcome poverty and meet the basic needs endeared him to fans, many of whom could relate with the messages in his songs.
“I used to do a lot of heartbroken songs, that’s how I came up in the game. People loved me because of the way I write. It makes people cry, like I was relieving them (of the emotional pain that comes with different experiences).” Diamond explained as he shared his humble beginnings the interview.
This helped him gain the initial support, turning him into a national star within Tanzania as he redefined Bongo music, playing an integral role in its growth beyond the borders of Tanzania, expanding into East Africa and becoming a genre that is appreciated across the globe
He steadily expanded the theme of his songs to cover the thrill of love and other aspects of love, maintaining his unique style while also blending new ones to make musical masterpieces that topped charts.
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The songs earned him modest fame and success but also became a limiting factor in his quest to conquer the globe with his music, and he knew when the time was right to do things differently.
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.
Strategic moves & decisions that paid off
Having conquered the East African entertainment scene, the singer shifted his focus to expanding his reach and conquering the globe without losing his authenticity.
Diamond Platnumz
A tactical switch in his musical approach coupled with several strategic moves was the magic key that opened new doors for Diamond.
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To conquer the global market, I needed to figure out what the people want in entertainment and give it them. People want to be happy, people want to have fun.
This saw him embrace a more vibrant sound packed with energy and inspiring audience to be happy, have fun and enjoy music while still interweaving it with the realities of life.
Dance challenges, international collaborations with global stars while still infusing his unique style to produce award-winning music ushered him into the global stage, taking it by storm.
His collaborations with global and continental icons were founded on mutual respect between the artistes with the acknowledgement that each has a unique value and each hit is a product of collective effort rather than individual.
He also credited the success with being intentional in what he sings.
If I don’t trust the song, I don’t send it to an artist. 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? 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.
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He also turned to English while still retaining his lyrical prowess, raw talent and energetic performance and evolving in a way that few have been able too, taking his fans along while also acquiring new ones in the process.
Reality TV star & the power of social media
His bold experimentation in reality TV also cemented his place as a global icon, with the shows raking in millions of views across the globe.
Diamond Platnumz
A master of his craft, Diamond also learnt how to wield social media as a powerful tool of influence with every aspect of his life attracting scrutiny and growing his brand as a singer, and entrepreneur and a reality TV star.