Alikiba

A multi-talented and award-winning Tanzanian recording artist, Alikiba became an East African megastar in 2008 with the arrival of his best-selling debut album, Cinderella. Known for his smooth vocals sung in his native Swahili and hip-shaking Afro-pop beats that flirt with American hip-hop, reggae, R&B, dancehall music, and traditional Tanzanian styles like taarab and dansi, Alikiba drew international acclaim for his 2014 hit "Mwana," which brought home the Tanzanian Music Awards Song of the Year. In 2016 he inked a deal with Sony and released the chart-topping single "AJE," and in 2017 he became the director of music and entertainment production company Rockstar4000. Subsequent efforts like "Seduce Me," "Mvumo Wa Radi," and 2020's "Dodo" saw the East African superstar continue to rule the charts. ~ James Christopher Monger