Tanzanian Bongo Fleva singer Diamond Platnumz has released Nikumbuke, a prayer-focused collaboration with fellow Tanzanian gospel artist Joel Lwaga.
The track was produced by Tanzanian music producer Kanibaah and centres on waiting, faith and hope. Diamond Platnumz shared teasers of the song on his social media accounts before its release.
The song’s YouTube description presents it as a plea from someone waiting for God’s appointed time while watching blessings unfold in the lives of others. Its central prayer is:
“Unapowabariki wengine, unikumbuke na mimi”
which asks God not to forget the person still waiting for a breakthrough.
Past religious-themed release#
Diamond Platnumz, who is Muslim, has previously incorporated religious imagery and themes into his music, though his ventures into Christian-themed territory have not always been without controversy.
His earlier song Mtasubiri with Zuchu featured a music video set inside a church with a choir. Tanzanian authorities and regulators banned the song and video from mainstream media, citing depictions they considered disrespectful and blasphemous. The video combined the church setting with a romantic storyline and other secular elements.
Unlike Mtasubiri, Nikumbuke is framed around prayer, with its message centred on asking God to remember those still waiting for their turn.
