With a keen aptitude for the performing arts and incomparable abilities for music and dance performance, Umi Jaja Marcano set the foundation for his career in the entertainment industry many years ago as a mere toddler. .. .. Umi, named after an African, tribal word for “Life”, was raised between the areas of Diego Martin and St. James, on the island of Trinidad and was encouraged in many ways by his family members to sing from as early as age three. .. .. While his father, who traveled internationally playing the guitar and the steelpan, instilled in him the principles of musicianship, Umi educated himself on the fundamentals of showmanship by watching music videos and emulating the performance styles of his Idol Michael Jackson. .. .. Although his earliest memories of music range from songs by artistes such as The Jackson Five, Soca singer Anslem Douglas and Reggae Icons Mr. Vegas and Red Rat, Umi’s passion was R&B Music. However, his love for Rhythm and Blues did not limit him from participating in other genres or facets of the arts. .. .. At the pre-school level, Umi’s artistic respect for Michael Jackson influenced him to perform a Jackson dance tribute at his pre-school graduation. During his primary school era at Richmond Street Boys, Umi did Bongo dancing and competed in the school’s Calypso competition, a contest in which he not only placed forth, but also did double duty as both a performer and as a drummer for the other competitors. .. .. In his years as a secondary school student at St. Dominic’s Savio College, he captured the first place title in the Calypso competition with a self-penned composition entitled, “Stop De Violence” and he also became known for his role as a regular dancer at school shows. During this period, Umi also honed his musical and performance skills in church where he was a drummer and participated in plays as an actor. Directly out of school, the budding entertainer was given the perfect avenue to display his talent and develop his confidence for the stage in the form of his first job, which entailed singing to music tracks in local casinos. This live performance stint, led to him entering the popular talent competition, “Party Flava” where he received the award for Best Original R&B Song with the tune, “Why”. .. .. In late 2006, having gained experience and even capturing prizes in various competitions such as “Party Flava” and The National Amateur Talent Competition, Umi was coaxed by friends to enter the Synergy TV Soca Star competition, the very competition that would take his entertainment career to a professional level. .. .. Umi entered Soca Star with the track, “Move that Body”, which was co-written by him and Trinidadian media personality Hans Des Vignes and produced by Rondell Ruiz. For him, the American Idol-like contest was indeed a learning experience which provided him with many “real-life” entertainment industry situations, which emphasized to him the ideals of being a true professional in terms of time management as well as audience and band control. .. .. After eventually winning Soca Star in early 2007, Umi spent the rest of that year performing at venues and events throughout Trinidad and Tobago including Club Zen, Dawn Fete, Youth Fest and S.O.S. In the latter half of 2007, he also launched the music video for the song, “Move that Body” and recorded and released his follow up track, “Turn it Around” co-written and produced by Kasey Phillips. .. .. For Trinidad’s 2008 Carnival season, the Soca/R&B crossover phenomenon enjoyed much success with his previously released tracks as well as his highly acclaimed song, “Flavour for Love” which was featured internationally on Vh1’s “Flavor of Love” TV show. .. .. During Carnival 2008, Umi was approached by former Xtatik band vocalist Peter C. Lewis to join his newly formed band, “The Orchestra” as a frontline singer. Umi embraced this opportunity to apply all of the techniques which he had learnt throughout his competition and performance years and performed along side The Orchestra in major Carnival events such Insomnia, Gyal Farm, Bazodee Friday and most notably AC 3+3 (Machel Montano’s major Carnival concert). .. .. In 2008, he was also afforded performance opportunities as a solo artiste in both Trinidad and Tobago as well as Barbados, and even recorded tracks with famed international producers Derek Brin and Alex Gregg. His music video for the track, “Turn it Around” has enjoyed several months of rotation on Trinidad’s Synergy TV video countdown, often peaking at the number one spot. .. .. Possessing a sound which is described as being a mixture of Akon, Usher and Machel Montano, Umi remains humble but maintains that due to his hard work and a steady foundation of support and love, his success was inevitable. .. .. Umi’s immediate goals are to debut new music during the 2008 Barbados Cropover season and to record more material for his upcoming album. However, eventually he would like to expand his artistic horizons into the realms of screen and film acting and to also take Trinidad and Tobago to the world through music which reflects a crossover Caribbean sound.

rising bongo flava artist from Tanzania.  

Feel free to contact me:

Email > frankmakongwa@gmail.com
OR
clkilburg@gmail.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/G-Free/674797425961438

BongoFM.com - Online Best Radio for Bongo Flava, Bongo MUsic, World Beat, African Music, Reggae, Zilipendwa, Hiplife

Mo-bwah is a Tanzanian bongo flava Artist, Songs Writer and singer. Born and raised in lake region Tanzania!.......

Music Group from Tanzania, East Africa. Performing Rap Music as well as other type of music such as Bongo flava, and Ragga. For bookings, contact us through +255717907085 0r +255713075793. E-mail, gangnyausha@gmail.com

'criss cross rhythms that explode with happiness'
(AUDIOBUNKA-Soundsystem / Dornbirn City - Vienna; Austria)
Hip Hop - Afrobeat - Reggae - Dancehall - Hip Life - Naija - Bongo Flava - Funk
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check out live radio shows on
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www.radioproton.at
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watch out for upcoming events @ Spielboden Dornbirn
www.spielboden.at
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Best african folk , Afrobeat, Afropop, Highlife, mzansi, instrumental, reggae, hip hop,traditional, Bongo Flava, GengeMusic Songs. Enjoy Kenyan, Tanzanian, Ugandan, Nigerian, south africa music albums.For more information visit us @ https://www.africanmusicnow.com/


The island boy – even in his young years, Bodea has seen a lot. Being born and raised at the tropical shores of Zanzibar/Tanzania the singer and songwriter embraced the beauty of a simple and natural lifestyle in the very first place. Not only causing a deep and lasting desire for this human Utopia but also making him inherit the specific aura of that little charming island. Leaving the mangos and coconuts behind he started his boyhood world tour at the age of five: first from Yemen to Islamabad/Pakistan where he started taking classical music lessons and therefore set the fundament for his present skills. Next stop: Beijing/China. In his early teenager years Bodea began to teach himself the guitar in the capital of the „Middle Kingdom“, wrote his first lyrics and started rapping. To finish High-School he made it to Germany, where he founded his first band and initiated performing his songs. 
From tanzanian easy living to german accuracy – he made his way!

Concentrating on his musical mastery Bodea made the transition from rapping to singing and began to develop his unique style. At that time he met Patrice and the Silly Walks Movement, both being of great influence for the young singer. After recording a few tracks in Germany and performing with the likes of Brother's Keepers, Bodea decided to go back to his roots: Zanzibar. 
In the two following years he recorded two albums in Swahili. „Tuka Pamoja“ (We Stand Together) and „Kume Kucha“ (The Break Of Dawn) – both in the Bongo Flava style (tanzanian Rap music) – included several number one hits in Tanzania and gained high respect in the east african music scene. The second album was produced in Tanzania's #1 Studio „Bongo Records“ with famous producer „P.Funk“.

After promoting his own concerts by sticking posters to walls with glue made of flour and water Bodea decided to leave Tanzania behind and finalize his musical skills by studying Jazz Performance and Composition at the Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle (USA). 

While studying he put together the „Drop Beat Band“ and performed his tunes in clubs and bars in the Seattle area. He now merged his natural charme with a cosmopolitan idea of the world to a singular style of tropical Soul music. Neither the classical Singer-Songwriter genre nor Reggae describe his music sufficiently. Other influences like Dancehall, Dub, Soul or Soca have their room in his repertoire – making it a beautiful and fresh variety to the trash-flooded music market.

By coincidence Bodea met Felix Haaksman and Andreas Schoenrock in Berlin/Gemany. The two producers had the joy to listen to Bodea live and unplugged on his guitar under a perfect summer nights sky and immediately fell in love with his music. No sooner said than done the three started to work on a full length album. Putting together a band with top-notch Berlin and Copenhagen based musicians and transcribing Bodea's songs from the acoustic guitar to full band instrumentation the album started to grow and glow.  Under the proposition to produce an album as natural as Bodea himself the live-character played a major role in the process and consequently became a dominant element of the album. 
Completing his degree with high honours in 2009 Bodea decided to move his residency to Berlin to finish up the work on the album in late 2010. With his style between tropical Songwriting, Soul, Reggae and Dancehall the charming island boy has a bright future to come. 


Benedict Nsila (B.V.V as production name) is a music producer and composer, commonly produces genres such as Zouk, Hiphop, RnB, Trap and Bongo Flava. He started his career in 2016. For more information contact him via +255763882714, E-mail : bdesigner331@gmail.com

recording and performing bongo flava music

Ema Cuthbert is following