Human stories are woven with laughter, entertainment, sorrow, and melancholy. They offer us a new perspective on the world and life itself. Human life is a journey filled with mountains and valleys; to reach our destination, we must endure the ups and downs without giving up. Each day teaches us new lessons. Today, Swahili Stories invites us to learn from the journey of a 28-year-old millionaire whose path to success began when he hitched a ride on a truck to Dar es Salaam. This Tanzanian youth, who realized his dreams and continued to show the world that anything is possible, has broken significant records and made new history. Today, we are talking about Raymond Shaban Mwakyusa, better known as Rayvanny.

This young man, born under the Leo zodiac sign, was born on August 22, 1993. Rayvanny is originally a Nyakyusa from Tukuyu, Mbeya, in a village called Ilalabwe, but he was born and raised in Nzovwe kwa Mbembela, Mbeya town. As a child, he dreamed of becoming a doctor, and if plans changed, an engineer. He loved reading, drawing cartoons, writing stories, and above all, he loved hip-hop music. He admired his father, who was like the P-Funk Majani of their neighborhood, which further nurtured his artistic roots.

Growing up in a religious family, Rayvanny joined the church choir in 2009, unaware that two years later, he would become the freestyle champion of Tanzania in a city far from his home. His music journey began with a phone call informing him about a freestyle competition in Mbeya. Unable to resist the lure of money, he entered the Serengeti competition and emerged victorious. As the Serengeti competition winner, he went on to compete for an international award in Dar es Salaam, where he also won. It was in Dar es Salaam that he met Babutale, the event manager.

However, Babutale did not know that Rayvanny could sing. When he first heard him sing, he promised to manage him musically if he chose singing over rapping. Despite his musical aspirations, Rayvanny’s mind was still set on school and becoming a doctor. He continued his education, but after failing his Form 4 exams, his thoughts turned more towards music. He planned to move to Dar es Salaam to pursue a music career under Babutale’s management. With no invitation, Rayvanny decided to hitch a ride on a truck heading to Dar es Salaam, traveling without paying fare because the truck belonged to an acquaintance. However, he had to work along the way, loading and unloading passengers’ goods.

One of the items he loaded was a jerrycan of palm oil, which spilled and ruined his clothes, leaving him with only the two outfits he wore. Despite trying every type of soap and method, the palm oil stains wouldn’t come out. This forced the newcomer in the city, who arrived uninvited, to live for over a month without changing clothes, turning them inside out to appear as if he had changed.

“You should not feel entitled to everything,” said Rayvanny.

Life at Tiptop was initially tough until he met Madee, who made things easier. After starting to move around with him and assisting him with whatever he needed, Madee formed a close bond with Rayvanny. He taught him to drive and introduced him to various places in Dar es Salaam, even taking him on stage despite not having a single song.

To sustain himself and support his family, Rayvanny wrote songs for many artists. At that time, songwriting was his primary source of income. He wrote for 4 to 5 artists a day, even completing an entire album for just 30,000 Tanzanian shillings. Despite the meager pay and poor conditions, he endured these challenges, which built him up to write and sing on any beat, create different types of music, be creative, and write numerous songs without running out of ideas.

Although life in Dar continued modestly, it changed when Babutale advised him to start training with Yamoto Band. During these sessions, Mkubwa Fela heard Rayvanny and encouraged him to accompany Yamoto Band on all their shows. This was when he began to see a glimmer of hope, though still distant from his initial struggles.

One day during an interview with Yamoto Band, Rayvanny was barred from entering the station due to its regulations. A guard forced him to sit in the parking lot, where his thoughts led him to create the song “Kwetu,” a song that would completely change his life.

“When life gets tough, sometimes it’s an opportunity to go far,” said Rayvanny.

To become one of the biggest artists in East Africa, Rayvanny first had to meet Diamond Platnumz, who saw his talent through Mboso, an artist who visited the studio where Diamond was with Rayvanny. Rayvanny aspired to join WCB, and on that day, he strived to show his abilities. His efforts bore fruit as, though Diamond said nothing at the time, he left with great visions for Rayvanny.

The struggle continued for Rayvanny until the pivotal day when Diamond called him, advised him, and then enabled him to record more songs. Diamond had already accepted Rayvanny, and after hearing more of his songs, he found himself writing the video script, planning the video promotions, and organizing everything to help Rayvanny get more exposure. This was before Rayvanny officially became a WCB artist, marking the beginning of his journey as the newest WCB artist after Harmonize.

Rayvanny officially transitioned to singing in 2016 under Diamond Platnumz, releasing his first hit “Kwetu,” which made him known both locally and internationally. On the night of June 25, 2017, at the Microsoft Theater Center in Los Angeles, USA, Vanny Boy won the Best New International Act award at the BET Awards through viewers’ choice, making him the first and only Tanzanian artist to win such an award to this day.

In February 2020, he released his first Extended Playlist titled “Flowers,” which performed exceptionally well and earned Grammy nominations. A year later, in February 2021, he released his album “Sound from Africa,” featuring 23 songs that dominated every street corner and set new records on major music platforms. “Sound from Africa” set a new record for East African countries, garnering over 100 million streams within a week of its release.

A month later, under WCB, he launched his own record label, “Next Level Music,” becoming the second artist from WCB to open his own label, after Harmonize, who now owns Konde Gang. In September 2021, Rayvanny introduced his first artist under Next Level Music, Mac Voice, whose reception was significant enough to earn a nomination at the AEAUSA awards in America in the Best Young Artist category for 2021.

Rayvanny’s significant records are not just victories for Bongo Flava but for Rayvanny himself. Raymond Shaban Mwakyusa made new history by being the first African artist to perform at a global event at the MTV European Music Awards alongside the Colombian superstar Maluma. Rayvanny and Maluma’s performance in Budapest, Hungary, sparked more excitement in Africa. It added more fans from many parts of the world where Bongo Flava music had not yet reached.

Since its inception on November 24, 1994, African artists who shone at the MTV EMAs were those nominated to compete for awards. However, no one had ever performed on the MTV EMA stage. This means Rayvanny, CEO of Next Level Music, was the first African artist to perform at these awards.

The song “Tetema,” released on February 20, 2019, featuring Diamond Platnumz, was received with unprecedented success in Rayvanny’s career, touching different parts of the world and garnering over 65 million views on YouTube to date.

According to Glusea and AB-TC, Rayvanny is estimated to have a net worth of $1.2 million, making him one of the young millionaires and richest artists in Tanzania.