Tanzanian singer Diamond Platnumz has said he will not refund the Ksh19 million, received as payment for Furaha Fest live performance in Nairobi.
Diamond revealed that he was paid $150,000 (Ksh19M) to headline the event but left without performing.
“I don’t like engaging in foolish social media rumors, but I will share my side of the story because my motivation for making music is to bring recognition to East Africa,” he explained.
Upon arriving at the venue, Diamond explained his decision to avoid the chaos he observed. “The security at the venue was very questionable. I stayed in my car, waiting to be called to the stage for my performance.”
“I will remain in my car at the venue until the event organizer calls me to perform. If my performance time passes, I will leave and I will not refund any money,” he stated.
He dismissed claims made by Kenyan artist Willy Paul, who had tearfully claimed on social media that he was prevented from performing before Diamond, the headliner.
“Willy Paul has been trying to provoke me on social media, and I’ve been ignoring him. Engaging with him would be foolish. Does that even make sense?” he responded.
“He tried to force his way into other people’s shows, which is why he was stopped.”
Later, his manager escorted him back to the hotel.
“It was too early in the morning, and it was too late to perform. The fans wouldn’t have been excited. My manager just took me back to the hotel,” Diamond added.
He also suggested that Willy Paul’s ongoing criticism of Tanzanian artists reflects a broader issue in Kenya, where 75% of the music played on air is Kenyan, rather than from other regions.
