Why Diamond Platnumz and Morgan Heritage?

These past months have seen the internet and the east African media most especially, awash with stories of Tanzanian top artiste Diamond Platnumz who has been in the news for marital issues concerning his cheating on Ugandan wife Zari Hassan. Apparently Diamond’s alleged infidelity has resulted in revelations that he has impregnated his ex, Tanzanian model Hamisa Mobeto.

I will leave this story at that and turn to his musical exploits which apparently has not been lying docile due to the trouble brewing over his social life.

Around this same time, Diamond Platnumz real name Naseeb Abdul Juma who has done collaborations with international musical acts that I can’t count with my fingers and toes decided to collaborate with the Jamaican royal family of reggae, The Morgan Heritage, to do a love song called Hallelujah.

To begin with, when groups collaborate usually it is because there is something common in their musical exploits. The coming together of Diamond Platnumz and Morgan Heritage therefore was something that was unprecedented.

This is why; Morgan Heritage is a reggae band that has the best reggae album Grammy award for their album ‘Strictly Roots’. On the other hand, Diamond Platnumz is an afro-pop artist whose collaborations with other such African artistes like Zimbabwean Jah Prayzah and Nigerians Davido and P Square, Mr flavour to mention but a few.

On the international scene he has also collaborated with US Ne-Yo doing a track Marry and this well understood as African pop borrows a lot from the R&B genre of the US.

Listening and watching the results of Diamond Platnumz and Morgan Heritage’s collaboration one would agree that they both came down to meet at a convenient level.

There is a track called Nana done by Diamond featuring Mr Flavour which clearly shows how the Nigerian and Tanzanian beat can easily fuse.

Now when one looks at Culture – the Jamaican reggae outfit – for example would we say this is the band that can collaborate with Diamond Platnumz. I think there is no such chance.

In 1990 Morgan Heritage’s debut album called Growing Up was an R&B album it was only in 1994 when the band was officially formed and the group moved to Jamaica, the home of their musician father Denroy Morgan that they settled for reggae in earnest.

Over this period they have released some of the reggae’s greatest hits like Down by the River, Reggae Bring Back Love, Let’s make it up, Protect Us Jah, She is still loving me, Tell Me How come

Peetah, Morgan Heritage’s lead vocalist has still the R&B influenced vocals which when you come to think of it made sense to collaborate with Diamond Platnumz.

When you watch the Hallelujah video more appreciation of this departure from the reggae discipline from the Heritage’s part will be appreciated while for Diamonds this is his turf.

For the lovers of traditional roots reggae the collaboration has been dismissed as a disgrace while for the liberals this is making not only a marketing sense but it brings the members of Morgan Heritage closer to their home continent of Africa.

Without being trapped in some rigid posture, the decision by the reggae outfit only shows their versatility. The elements of not being a pure reggae is also clearly seen and observed in their latest album released on May 19 this year called Avrakedabra which follows their acclaimed Grammy Award-winning Strictly Roots.

Much as the album title poses many questions so is the 15-track album which if you have the history of Morgan Heritage you will not be surprised with its cross breeding of genres.

And therefore their collaboration with Diamond Platnumz is not a total surprise and if any Malawian musical outfit of artiste were n doubt when Morgan Heritage offered for collaboration when they were twice in the country, there goes your answer.