Tanzanian music superstar Diamond Platnumz has spoken on the cost he incurred while shooting a music video abroad.
Speaking during the launch of the Bite Vibes festival in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania the singer said shooting one music video cost him $190, 000 (KSh24.7M).
The Yatapita singer said a frugal artist can never make it on the international scene due to the expensive nature of productions.
“Unfortunately, international songs are very expensive. I was shooting a video in the US recently, which cost around $190,000. So, when you mention $190,000 and you haven’t slept or travelled, you’re talking about more than Tsh500 million. So, the market there doesn’t tolerate frugality,” Diamond said.
The Bongo star has enjoyed successful collaborations with international artists and made hits like ‘Marry You’ with Neyo, ‘African Beauty’ featuring Omarion, ‘Waka’ featuring Rick Ross, and ‘Hallelujah’ with Jamaican reggae group Morgan Heritage.
He has shot music videos in the United States, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Nigeria and other countries.
Diamond boasts millions of subscribers on YouTube who enjoy his high-quality music videos.
According to Citizen Tanzania, Diamond encouraged artists to view art as an investment and a means of societal upliftment.
“I advise artists that if one has the opportunity to open a media outlet, they should go for it. We, as artists of our generation, need to change our perspective. We should move away from the notion that artists are just troublemakers, instead, let’s show that art is an investment, it’s helping the nation, and artists can uplift people,” Diamond is quoted.