Tanzanian music artist Harmonize has revealed that singing was not his original ambition during an appearance on Kenya's Obinna TV Extra live podcast show. Before becoming a Bongo Flava recording artist, his primary focus was athletics.
Speaking on the broadcast in Nairobi, the singer explained that sports dominated his youth.
A Schoolyard Footballer
During his secondary school years in Tanzania, Harmonize spent most of his time on the sports pitch. He identified football as his primary skill.
“I was just a footballer of the school, that’s my first talent kabisa,” Harmonize revealed.
At the time, music was only a secondary interest. He sang casually for fun, without any expectation of turning performance into a professional career.
His sporting path altered after he finished school and moved to Dar es Salaam to search for work. He moved into the home of his sister and brother-in-law.
To contribute to the household, Harmonize was required to wake up early and assist with work in his family's retail shop.
“So, while playing football, I relocated to Dar es Salaam to search for employment. I was welcomed by my sister and his husband. But you know football needs time where you are supposed to work of practice, but I also had to assist my in-law in his chores, and that’s how my football dream died,” he explained.
The daily routine conflicted with his sports commitments. Football required structured practice sessions every morning and evening. Working in the shop meant he missed those vital training sessions.
Harmonize also noted that achieving financial success in professional football takes a long time. Faced with household work and missed practices, he decided to walk away from the sport.
With his football ambitions at an end, Harmonize turned his attention fully to music. Encouragement from neighbours in his local community motivated him to pursue singing seriously.
He later auditioned for the Bongo Star Search competition before signing with the WCB record label in 2015. He eventually established his own music company, Konde Gang.
Now celebrating a decade in the music industry, Harmonize has built a substantial track record:
- 2015: The year he officially signed his first major music record contract.
- 8 years: Length of time his lead security guard has worked alongside him.
- 10 years: Duration of his active career as a recording artist.
- 31: His age when he completed his album, titled 31.
- Positions 1 to 10: Tracks from 31 occupied the top 10 spots on Apple Music Tanzania.
- Positions 1 to 5: Songs from 31 held the top 5 trending music video slots on YouTube Tanzania.
