TID rates Uganda’s music industry over Tanzania’s

Before Diamond Platnumz, Harmonize, Mbosso, Zuchu, there was TID (Top in Dar) real name Khalid Mohamed who crooned his way to the hearts of many in the East African region and beyond.

He dominated media airplay in the late 90s and early 2000s with the likes of Siamini, Zeze and Nyota yako.

Right now he is in Uganda and has a lot of reservations in regards to how the current Tanzanian music sensations are driving their industry that in his opinion is reckless compared to how Uganda has maintained its identity.

Appearing on Bukedde TV on Tuesday, October 31, he ranted that their bongo flava sound is long gone and Tanzanian artistes have adopted other people’s style of music like Amapiano.

“Tanzanian music is different from Ugandan music. Ugandans have stuck to their normal beats. But Tanzanians have moved on, they are now promoting Amapiano; some other people’s tradition which is not right. You are influencing the coming generation, your children to adopt other people’s culture,” he argued.

In Uganda, he said, he has not heard amapiano because artistes here respect their values, unlike his home country, Tanzania.

“Our industry is moving well, but it is not helping Tanzanian music. We used to have our own sound back then, bongo flava. How come in Uganda you don’t hear amapiano? Because you people respect your values, respect your tone. People need to love your music. You don’t need to love other people’s,” he added.

Amapiano is a subgenre of the Kwaito genre that emerged in South Africa in mid-2010 and gained massive popularity the last few years.

Diamond has since recorded over a dozen Amapiano songs between 2020 and 2023. Harmonize about half a dozen.