The return of ray c

Ray C is back! That is the word around town and beyond, this time it seems she has made up her mind, she has decided to leave her past behind.

For over three years now Ray C’s return to the centre stage has been something that her fans waited for anxiously after she announced that she was over with her troubled past which involved stints in rehab.

And as expected Ray c sounds fresh and is ready to take off from where she left with the release of her comeback single ‘Unanimaliza’, a song that is full of intent and determination.

This was long overdue and she has not disappointed she sounds like the same Ray C of the old days who has repackaged her body and sound in the famous brand that her fans once knew.

What others say

Her return attracted comments from fellow musicians who encouraged and wrote encouraging posts on the social media urging her to carry on.

The pictures that she has posted in recent times are those of a diva on the mend as opposed to those in mid 2012 that showed a superstar on the path of self destruction, ones that made their way on tabloids and the social media.

She seems to have put all that behind her and she is a whole new self, one who has forgiven even those that were at one point blamed for her problems, she believes she was the source of her own tribulations.

This was a sigh of relief to her fans too who by all means had missed her across the region with Kenya being one of her strong bases.

Jeff Omondi is an entertainment reporter with a Nairobi based newspaper, he says they can’t wait for Ray C’s first concert in the country despite the last one having end on a sour note.

“The last time she was here she had problems with Sadat and co but that doesn’t mean that she has problems with everyone, the fans are longing for her,” says Jeff Omondi.

Sarah Rashid a resident of Sinza in Dar es Salaam was still a student when the songstress rocked stages and she recalls those days with nostalgia and she too can’t wait for her first performance.

“Those days we all wanted to sing just like and I am sure there are many young women out there who were inspired by her to become a musician,” says Sarah.

In Ray C’s own words she has already received offers for the new single which was produced by Abby Daddy and all she is waiting for is to make the right choice.

“I have received offers to shoot the video from both local and international directors,” she told Times FM.

Her rise

When she first broke on the scene, Ray C was everything that a music producer, promoter or record label would have wished for.

She was gifted with a seamless voice, flawless beauty and her dancing moves always left her fans yawning for more.

There was just no competition on the market to match her versatility in the industry as the rest of what was supposed to be competitors played catch up.

As a result and within no time, she had become one of the hottest music properties in East Africa.

She was a diva in every sense as she conquered territories hitherto unknown to most Tanzania musicians of her generation.

She had it all, money, the fame that comes with superstardom and even a famous beau-a former Big Brother Africa housemate, Mwisho Mwampamba.

Just like many of her peers then, years of substance abuse left the diva in a messy situation that required urgent intervention and she every reason to consider herself lucky.

A presidential intervention salvaged what was a rather worsening situation as she was checked into a rehab by the then President Jakaya Kikwete who just couldn’t bear the sight of Tanzania’s sweetheart.

Winds of change

Ray C who turns 35 in 10 days’ time is one of the first musicians to commercialise Bongo Flava that today employs hundreds of young people both directly and indirectly.

Five year away from the game is such a long time and as she too has admitted there is a lot that has changed as plenty of young talent has sprouted and taken over the patch that once belonged to her.

It is not clear under which management she is currently on but it is obvious that those leading her are aware of the realities of today’s Bongo Flava music.

Several years of inactivity, negative publicity and lack of credible visibility could be enough to rush a career that was once the envy of so many to the grave yard.

This is a fast moving industry that barely waits for anyone, in her absence plenty of new talent has emerged and it will only be fair to say that her patch has been taken.

In an era when female musicians just not seem to stick around for while some might argue that she is a necessary addition.

However, during that time starlet Ruby got the country singing with her debut single Na Yule, Malaika came on with several hits, Nandi too is rocking with a couple of hits, Maua Sama has become another sensation and the list goes on.

Vanessa Mdee came and won several awards and she is now one of the most respected female artistes on the continent with chat topping hits under her belt.

In the meantime her compatriot Lady Jaydee has kept her place as the evergreen queen of Bongo Flava who doesn’t fade even as personal problems seemed to have derailed her at some point.

The way we consume music today has changed and as diverse as probably as the consumers themselves, therefore it is not going to be business as usual.

The media attraction that she has gained in the wake of her return could be good news but getting her crown back will take some artistic and managerial sacrifices.