Tanzanian vocalist and composer Rich Mavoko rose to prominence during the middle years of the 2010s by blending bright Afro-pop textures with the rhythmic drive of bongo flava. Early successes such as “Roho Yangu” and the Diamond Platnumz-assisted track “Kokoro” paved the way for broader recognition once he aligned with Platnumz’s WSB Wasafi imprint toward the close of the decade. After a contentious split from that roster in 2019, he returned the following year by issuing the independently distributed MiniTape.
Born Richard Martin, he first gained traction through the Nairobi-based Kaka Empire collective founded by Kenyan rapper King Kaka. In that period he delivered several bongo flava singles—fusing hip-hop, R&B, Afrobeat, and the Tanzanian lineages of taarab and dansi—most prominently “Roho Yangu.” Fellow Tanzanian Diamond Platnumz then recruited him to WSB Wasafi, where, beginning in 2017, Mavoko appeared on well-received cuts including “Rudi” with Patoranking, “Sheri” with Fid Q, and “Kokoro” alongside Platnumz. Despite ongoing momentum, he departed the label in 2019 amid disputes that triggered a string of lawsuits and drew intervention from Tanzania’s arts oversight organization, BASATA. Once those matters concluded, Mavoko staged his 2020 comeback with the EP-length mixtape MiniTape.
