Rayvanny facts for kids

Raymond Shaban (born August 22, 1993), known as Rayvanny, is a talented musician from Tanzania. He is also a songwriter and recording artist. Rayvanny was part of the WCB Wasafi record label until July 2022.

He grew up in Nzovwe, a town in Mbeya Region. Rayvanny is known as one of the most successful Bongo Flava artists from the Mbeya region. Bongo Flava is a popular music style from Tanzania that mixes African rhythms with hip-hop and R&B. Most of his songs are sung in the Swahili language.

Rayvanny also started his own music company called Next Level Music, where he is the CEO. He became famous with his song "Kwetu." In 2017, MTV Base even named him one of the "Acts To Look Out For."

In 2022, a special version of his song "Mama Tetema" won an award. This version was a collaboration with Colombian musician Maluma. It won the Best Global Collaboration award at the East Africa Arts Entertainment Awards (EAEA). Rayvanny was also nominated for a Grammy Award for this song. It was part of Maluma's album "Don Juan."

Rayvanny's Music Journey

Starting in Music

Rayvanny discovered his love for music when he was in high school in 2011. He even won a rap freestyle competition! In 2012, he joined a music group called Tip Top Connection. This helped him gain more experience and meet other artists.

Joining WCB Wasafi

In 2015, Rayvanny joined WCB Wasafi Records. This is one of the biggest music labels in Tanzania, led by Diamond Platnumz. In 2016, he released his first song with them, "Kwetu." It quickly became a huge hit across East Africa.

Awards and Recognition

Rayvanny started getting noticed for his talent. In 2016, he was nominated for an MTV Africa Music Award as a "Breakthrough Act." The next year, he received more nominations, including for the BET Award for International Viewers' Choice. He later won the BET Award, making him the only Tanzanian artist to achieve this.

Starting Next Level Music

In 2021, Rayvanny decided to create his own record label, Next Level Music. He signed his first artist, Mac Voice, to his new company. In July 2022, he left WCB Wasafi to focus completely on Next Level Music.

Big Collaborations

In November 2021, Rayvanny worked with the famous Colombian singer Maluma on the song "Mama Tetema." This song became very popular and was even certified "Disco de Oro" (Gold Record) in 2022 in the US.

Rayvanny holds some impressive records. He was the first Tanzanian artist to perform at the MTV EMA stage. He was also the first Tanzanian artist to reach 100 million streams on Boomplay, a music streaming platform.

Rayvanny's Songs

Since 2016, Rayvanny has released one album and five EPs (Extended Plays). Here are some of his popular songs:

Songs with Other Artists

Rayvanny has also worked with many other artists on their songs:

Awards and Nominations

Rayvanny has won and been nominated for several awards for his music.

MTV Africa Music Awards

BET Awards

African Muzik Magazine Awards

Afrimma