Diamond Platnumz has signed a "360 partnership" with Warner Music.
One of the leading artists in East Africa, the deal also covers his independent record label WCB-Wasafi, which will be incorporated into Warner Music South Africa and Ziiki Media, the Africa and India focused entertainment company.
The partnership will also see Warner Music, Diamond Platnumz, Ziiki Media and WCB-Wasafi's artists work together on new releases, catalogue, brand partnerships, live and sync deals.
“I’ve built WCB-Wasafi from the ground up and believe that Warner Music and Ziiki are the right partners to help further grow our reach," said Diamond Platnumz. "I’m also looking forward to plugging into the Warner network myself. We’ve got some exciting plans and I can’t wait to share more music with the world.”
Alfonso Perez-Soto, president, emerging markets Warner Music, welcomed both the new artist and label.
“Diamond Platnumz musical talent is undeniable and he’s become one of Africa’s most successful artists," he said. "On top of that, he’s proven to be an incredible businessman, as he’s grown WCB-Wasafi into a formidable record label. The East and Central African music scene has exploded over the last few years and we believe by working together, we can help promote Diamond and his artists to more fans around the world, and introduce the Bongo Flava scene to a broader audience. This 360 partnership establishes a new way to engage with artists in Africa and our ambition to bring African talent to the rest of the world. I’d like to thank WM South Africa and Ziiki Media for their outstanding support in making this deal happen.”
Temi Adeniji, managing director of Warner Music South Africa and SVP, strategy, Sub-Saharan Africa, added that the deal heralded the label's increased involvement in the East African music market.
“Warner Music’s nuanced approach to the African continent contemplates different blueprints across the various subregions and in that vein, this partnership with Diamond Platnumz and Wasafi firmly underpins our entrance into East Africa," she explained.
"Not only is Diamond one of the premier artists on the continent, but he is undoubtedly lynchpin of the Bongo Flava scene in Tanzania. We’re so excited to write him and Wasafi into the WMG narrative on the continent and we are beyond thrilled to welcome Diamond as a global flagship artist for Warner Music.”
Ziiki Media, who sealed its partnership with Warner Music in 2020, explained that they were keen to start working with Diamond Platnumz and his team.
“This partnership will further boost our presence in Tanzania and Africa as a whole," said the firm's CEO & managing director, Arun Nagar.
"We hope to engage with a wide range of artists across different music genres from all over Africa, and the partnership with Wasafi is central to that approach. We’re investing sizeable resources into the market because we’ve got faith in its artists and belief that we’ve only just scratched the surface of what we can achieve here.”
Yesterday (May 18) Warner Music UK announced a leadership transition at the label that will see Joe Kentish promoted to president, effective from June 1.
