How Diamond’s career was boosted to sh380 million booking fee

Tanzanian crooner Diamond Platnumz’s manager, Sallam Sk, has broken down how they toiled to build the singer’s brand, saying that right now to book him, one has to part with not less than $100,000 (over Sh380 million), and at times he has an entourage of about 30 people that you also have to pay. 

These, he said, are the fruits of their labour for the years they spent trying to get the singer to establish dominance across the region and beyond. They stalked DJs in clubs outside Tanzania and financially invested in them to spin Diamond’s music as many times as possible. 

“We used to go to clubs abroad and give a certain amount to the DJ or buy drinks to play the music. We did all kinds of marketing, and right now we are eating the fruits of our labour,” said Sallam. 

This current booking fee was last revised in August 2022, up from the sh230 million he charged in 2021, which was also higher than the sh77 million he charged in 2015. 

However, in October 2023, while performing in Kenya, Diamond told revellers that the fee was frustrating business. He rarely got gigs in Nairobi because of his booking fee, which is prohibitive for some promoters.