Maua Sama

Maua Sama first presented her warm Afro-pop shaded with R&B accents through early singles such as “Mahaba Niue,” issued in 2015, before securing an international breakthrough with the 2018 release “Iokote.” Born and raised in Tanzania, she began singing during childhood, even as her parents prioritized academic studies above musical ambitions. After finishing high school, several of her recordings reached Mwana FA, who arranged introductions to key industry figures and prompted her move to Dar es Salaam. There she tracked “So Crazy,” featuring Mwana FA, and “Mahaba Niue,” both of which appeared in 2015. Additional tracks followed over the next few years with scant notice, leaving her near the point of quitting until “Iokote” emerged as a multinational hit. The song had already surpassed ten million streams across platforms when rapper Rostam joined for a 2020 remix. That year also brought the singles “Nioneshe” and “Binua,” the latter featuring Jaivah.