The Top Tanzanian Songs of All-Time - Starting Eleven

I asked some friends to name their top 5 songs ever, from Tanzania. My Tanzanian alter-ego, Hamis Ambwene Massawe, also contributed, thanks to all he has learnt around Museke. I also asked Google Gemini & other AI bots. You know AI is my friend these days right? I also contributed my top 5.

My first time in Tanzania was in 2012, thanks to my work at Google. Prior to that, I had been learning about Tanzanian music from my Bongo friends at MIT and then later at Stanford. When I visited Dar Es Salaam, I hanged out with a lot of top musicians there, thanks to Museke. I had the kind of experiences in Bongo land that would make you say "Bingo". I miss Tanzania dearly!

I wanted to do a list of top 5, but there are too many songs. So I have aggregated 11, to represent Tanzania in the World Cup of #MusicWeDeyFeel. The starting eleven. Drop your opinions, props, suggestions in the comments section. Here we go, in no particular order, you can suggest who plays centre forward, sweeper, maestro, left wing back or goalkeeper in the comments. 

Siamini - TID (2005)

This is 1 of the first major Tanzanian hits that my friends felt happy introducing to me. Tanzania has a lot of great singers, they might challenge South Africa and DR Congo for the per capita African crown. TID stands for "Top in Dar" which is apt given the legacy that Khalid Mohamed has built. He is a pioneer and a living legend of the Bongo Flava genre.

Thanks to the Swahili I was learning from my friends, I knew Siamini meant "I don't believe". In fact, I don't believe I have not been to Hamis' hometown since 2012. Sigh. I can't believe it. The song is about a person who is in disbelief that they have managed to weather life's challenges and finally be with the one they love. Awww! I shall weather those criss-crossing African travel challenges one day one day!

Maria Salome - Saida Karoli (2000)

I was not familiar with Saida Karoli's music - her style which blends traditional Tanzanian sounds (specifically from the Haya ethnic group) with relatable melodies. This was part of Saida's debut album Chambua kama Karanga around 2001. The song is about a mother's concerns and advice to her daughter, Maria Salome, regarding her life and character. 

It is a Taarab or traditional song which makes it even more impressive and the commercial appeal it had.  This is one of the first Tanzanian songs to gain massive popularity across multiple African countries, irrespective of the languages spoken there. Saida Karoli even earned the nickname "Wanchekecha" in Uganda due to the song's lyrics. The song got more international exposure when it was featured in the American/Canadian film Peeples (2013). 

Cinderella - Alikiba (2006)
Before Cinderella came out, Kenyans and Tanzanians were battling for music supremacy in East Africa. I think this song might have just tilted the scales. I went to an Alikiba concert in Oakland (near Stanford) which also had Longombas performing. Ally Kiba was and is still a crooner. The ladies were swarming him, and most of them didn't even speak Kiswahili. Ali Kiba is the first love doctor of East Africa.

Cinderella has been sung about from Ghana to the USA to far away places on earth. Alikiba gave us another Cinderella classic. "Aitwa Cinderella, rudi home wewe, rudi nyumbani".  The song is about a man who has moved on from a childhood love who didn't reciprocate his feelings. The woman returns in the present day, but the man is now married and has moved on, so he tells her to go back home. I can't wait to say "Mimi, leo, niko Dar" while in Dar Es Salaam. Beautiful song.

Zali la Mentali - Profesa Jay (2003)

This was a groundbreaking hit when it came out earlier this century. It gave a lot of credence to rap music from Tanzania. This pioneer was Joseph Leonard Haule, popularly known as Profesa Jay. He helped grow the Bongo Flava genre. He is now a well-known politician and former member of parliament. I need to find videos of him on the floor of parliament! 

"Zali la Mentali" means "A Stroke of Luck" or "A Mental Incident".  It features Juma Nature. It is about love, wealth, different classes, etc. This song is in a class of its own.

Mbagala - Diamond Platnumz (2010)

Diamond Platnumz built upon the success of the likes of TID and Alikiba, and flew above the stars. He is easily the biggest artiste ever to emerge from the whole of East Africa. How do you say argue in Swahili? Kubishana kwa comments. Naseeb Abdul Juma Issack is the real lion of African music. Call him "Simba" as his nickname goes.

When you listen to Mbagala, you would know it is deeply emotional. It is about heartbreak, which for some reason made me think about Dee, Zari and the folks in the Young, Famous & African show on Netflix. This single was later included on his debut album, Kamwambie, which was released in 2013. More on him baadaye.

Siku Hazigandi - Lady Jaydee (2007)

Lady Jaydee is widely known as the Queen of Bongo Flava. I agree that Siku Hazigandi is her biggest and most popular song to date. Lady Jaydee's real name is Judith Wambura Mbibo. She goes by "Jide" or "Commando". I mean, can you imagine a woman getting a nickname "Commando?" Some of my  Jide tracks are Distance and Kipepeo, but this song takes the cake. Siku Hazigandi was featured as a track on her album titled Shukrani.

It was a massive commercial success. "Siku Hazigandi" means "Days Don't Freeze/Stop". It is a song about positivity, so you must not be surprised why I love it so much. Some lyrics to keep you going - "Nasonga mbele" - "I am moving forward". Time doesn't stop, so keep moving on. More vim! 

Narudi nyumbani - Remmy Ongala (1991)

I did not know about Remmy Ongala until the poll results started coming in. He is a legend from the generations before whose music continues to resonate with several Tanzanians. He pioneered the "Ubongo" (brain/conscious) music style, which is credited with influencing the popular Bongo Flava music. He worked with the likes of Peter Gabriel's Real World Records. His song "Kipenda Roho" was even used in the Oliver Stone film Natural Born Killers!

The song was on Remmy's album Mambo, released in 1992. "Narudi Nyumbani" song talks about the struggles of urban life and a declaration of the singer's decision to leave the city (like Dar Es Salaam) and return to his rural village. Are you following the trend that Hamis Ambwene Massawe is driving?

Jeje - Diamond Platnumz (2020)

We know Diamond Platnumz loves women, to a fault lol. It is only fair that this all-time classic is about being captivated by a woman's charm, beauty, and body, etc. Then comes the toasting! Talking about toasting, this track was produced by Nigerian producer Kel-P and mixed by Ayo Lizer, showcasing a successful blend of Bongo Flava and Afrobeats influences. Diamond's music has massive appeal in different African localities, especially this song, from the Eastern coast to the Western shoreline. 

Jeje was a major hit across Africa and beyond, also with a huge number of views on YouTube. Naseem is very controversial. This "Ladies' Man" sang "your body's fine and when you whine... I go fight like John Cena for your love"). As for the fighting part, that is why he has multiple children with multiple women. Or? Hapana? Apparently, the video vixen featured in the "Jeje" video had to publicly defend her relationship with the singer amidst speculation. Damn, I am sounding like a celebrity blogger haha.

Sukari - Zuchu (2020)

As established, Tanzanians can sing! Zuchu is the new school female champion, leading the new generation. By now, you know she probably does not like ladies called Amanda. These genZ ladies eh? We have come to associate Zuchu with Diamond Platnumz but she is also with the prestigious WCB Wasafi record label, emerging from the stable in April 2020. Her real name is Zuhura Othman Soud.  She is the daughter of the legendary Tanzanian Taarab musician Khadija Kopa. Those genes crossing generations!

Zuchu's most popular song ever is widely considered to be "Sukari". Its music video made it the first song by a solo female East African artist to reach over 100 million views on YouTube. It achieved one million views within just 22 hours of its release, which was also a record at the time. "Sukari" as you could guess is Swahili for "Sugar". Yes, it is a love song. Yes, it is sweet. Sweet like Zuchu. How do I know Zuchu is sweet? Wait, you did not watch the video? Go consume yourself in it please. Don't get addicted to it like sugar o and all those millions of YouTube views. 

Dunia - Marioo (2025)

A lot of you might now know about Marioo, but he has become one of the biggest Tanzanian acts in recent years. Dunia was only released in 2025 but due to its lyrics, aura, message, etc, it is on its way to becoming an all-time classic. 

"Dunia" as you might know, is Swahili for "World" or "Earth". The way Marioo weaves meaning into this word makes this track stand out. It talks about life's challenges, love, materialism, beauty and as the name of a specific woman. The chorus goes "Dunia tamu, dunia chuma" ("The world is sweet, the world is iron/hard") with a lot of depth in the verses. I have been using Shazam recently for Kizomba songs which are mostly in a language I still can't speak better than Swahili, but when folks understand the language and are still shazaming your song, you know this one has some serious pull. A chart-topper for now and the future. 

Waah! by Diamond Platnumz (2020)

Would you hold it against me if Diamond Platnumz has 3 songs in this list? I mean, can you? "Does it concern you that much? What does it matter to you?". He dominates. He roars. He scores. We could pick Koma Sava which features yet another big American artiste. Number One is the song that introduced him more to West Africans, featuring Davido. Yope Remix is actually Innoss'B's song featuring him. Whoa! The song that takes this selection spot to start in the game is Waah! featuring the legendary Koffi Olomide. This is a super Bongo Flava and Lingala fusion.

This massive hit has more than 185 million Youtube views, it achieved 1 million YouTube views in just 8 hours and 2 million in 13 hours. This song is both a declaration of love and a statement of resilience against public scrutiny. The song even incorporated awareness about the COVID-19 pandemic. Today is today! The boss, the boss! 

Many thanks to friends like who contributed to this - Dickson Christopher, Esther Richard, Frank Salila, Gloria Mangi, Hafiz Juma, iTony Severine, Joachim Mangilima, Jones Mrusha, Kuruthumu Kasenya, Maua Herme, Paul Mwirigi, Taha Jiwaji.

Have more #MusicWeDeyFeel to contribute? Drop a comment.

Check out this playlist of songs that were nominated, etc on YouTube.