Feuds between notable singers have been going on since time immemorial and the rivalry between Tanzania singers Harmonize and Diamond over who will be the first to take Bongo Fleva music to the global stage endures.
Harmonize recently took a swipe at Diamond Platinumz for failing to secure a Grammy nomination this year, despite releasing globally appealing songs.
Speaking to journalists, Harmonize confidently claimed he would be the first East African artist to win the prestigious Grammy Award in music.
In what seemed like a jab at Diamond’s song Komasava, which features the French greeting “Comment ça va,” Harmonize dismissed it as lacking the depth needed to win a Grammy.
The two stars frequently exchange barbs, often after periods of truce. According to Harmonize, Diamond’s reliance on French greetings wouldn’t be enough to win the coveted award.
“Talking about the Grammys, my response is this: if you’re discussing Grammys, then know you’re speaking to the 2025/2026 Grammy winner. Because I know what it takes to win. You can’t win a Grammy by just greeting people. You can’t,” Harmonize stated.
“You need unique songwriting and production to win a Grammy. What most people don’t know is that the Grammy judges don’t care if you’re famous or not. All they care about is the quality of your work. Popularity in front of the cameras doesn’t matter; it’s your music that speaks,” he added, expressing confidence that he would be nominated next year.
Harmonize, now a rival to his former idol Diamond, emphasized that he would be the first East African artist to bring home a Grammy.
His comments came just days after Diamond addressed his fans’ disappointment over his absence from this year’s Grammy nominations, despite the global success of Komasava, a collaboration with Canadian artist Jason Derulo.
In response, Diamond encouraged fans not to lose hope, urging them to use the experience as motivation to improve for next year.
“When we fail to achieve something, we shouldn’t be discouraged. Instead, we should analyze where we went wrong and improve,” Diamond said.
“I always tell my team not to complain when we miss an achievement. Maybe we lack connections, or there’s something we didn’t do right,” he added.
The rivalry between the two Bongo stars has been ongoing since Harmonize left WCB. Diamond promised to return to the studio and release powerful tracks, which he referred to as “bangers,” to improve his chances for a Grammy nomination next year—and perhaps even win.
“For now, we will flood the world with hits. God willing, next year we’ll make it to the Grammys. And if not, we’ll keep pushing because I believe nothing is impossible,” he noted.
