Rayvanny

Raymond Shaban, popularly known by his stage name Rayvanny, is a Tanzanian singer, songwriter, and recording artist born on August 22, 1993, in Nzovwe ward of Mbeya City, Mbeya Region. He is recognized as the most successful bongo flava artist from the Mbeya region, with music predominantly in Swahili. Rayvanny began his music journey in high school, winning a rap freestyle competition in 2011, and later joined the music group Tip Top Connection in 2012, where he developed his skills and industry connections. In 2015, he signed with WCB Wasafi, one of Tanzania’s biggest record labels, managed by Diamond Platnumz. His debut single “Kwetu,” released in 2016, was a major hit in East Africa and catapulted him to regional fame. That same year, he earned a nomination for Breakthrough Act at the MTV Africa Music Awards. In 2017, he received additional recognition from AEUSA, Uganda Entertainment Awards, and BET, where he became the first Tanzanian artist to win a BET Award. In 2021, Rayvanny founded his own label, Next Level Music, signing artist Mac Voice as his first signee. He collaborated with Colombian superstar Maluma on the song “Mama Tetema,” originally featuring Diamond Platnumz, which went on to win Best Global Collaboration at the East Africa Arts Entertainment Awards (EAEA) and was certified Disco de Oro by the RIAA. The track was later featured on Maluma’s 2023 album Don Juan, earning Rayvanny a Grammy nomination in the Best Latin Pop Album category. He left WCB Wasafi in July 2022 to focus entirely on his label. Among his numerous accomplishments, Rayvanny holds the distinction of being the first Tanzanian and African act to perform on the MTV EMA stage, the first Tanzanian artist to reach 100 million streams on Boomplay, and the only Tanzanian to ever win a BET Award.