Tanzanian singer-songwriter Malaika Gray is introducing herself to the music scene with a little help from one of the country’s biggest musical names, Marioo.
The rising artist has released her debut single, “My Fever”, a love song featuring the award-winning Bongo Flava star, marking the beginning of a musical journey rooted in her Tanzanian heritage and South African upbringing.
While the track is her first official release, Gray has been dreaming about making music for years. And when it came to making that first impression, she wanted to do it on her own terms, surrounded by the people and sounds that shaped her.
Written and recorded in Tanzania, “My Fever” was developed in Dar es Salaam with producer Abbah Process, before Marioo joined Gray in the writing process.
Speaking about the inspiration behind the song, Gray said it was less about telling a specific love story and more about capturing a feeling.
“It is a love song, and the honest answer is that it came from a feeling rather than a story. That moment when summer arrives and a person arrives at the same time, and you cannot quite separate the two. Everything runs a little warmer than it should,” she said.
Gray wanted the record to capture the warmth and relaxed atmosphere of Dar es Salaam, allowing the city’s influence to come through in its sound.
“I was not trying to make something that sounded like anywhere else. I wanted it to sound like Dar – warm, unhurried, a bit of ocean in it,” she explained.
The song also reflects her multicultural musical influences, moving between English and Kiswahili, two languages she naturally incorporates into her songwriting.
Marioo’s unexpected contribution
Having Marioo on her debut release is a significant introduction for Gray, who admits she has been a fan of the musician for years. However, she says what stood out most about their collaboration was how invested he became in the song.
“There was a moment at the beginning where I had to stop being a fan and get to work,” she said.
Rather than simply recording a guest verse, Marioo became part of the creative process, helping shape the lyrics and melody.
“He was not there to record a verse and leave. He wrote it with me, he asked what I actually meant by things, he pushed the melody around until it was better,” Gray said.
She was particularly appreciative of his willingness to collaborate with an emerging artist who had yet to release music publicly.
“He came to it before I had anything to show him. No songs out, no name, nothing to look at. He listened to the song and said, ‘Let us do it.’ I do not take that lightly.”
Dar es Salaam takes centre stage in the music video
For Gray, the visual treatment of “My Fever” was just as important as the music itself.
Directed by Joma, the music video was filmed over two days across Dar es Salaam, capturing the city through its streets, markets, salons and everyday transport.
The Indian Ocean, the city’s daladalas (minibus taxis) and the golden afternoon light all feature in the visuals, offering viewers a glimpse of the environment that helped shape the song.
“I never thought about the song without the video. A record like this is about a place as much as a feeling, and you cannot hear a place. You have to see it,” she said.
Gray was also intentional about ensuring the visuals represented the city authentically, rather than relying on familiar or stereotypical African imagery.
“No sets, no imported crew. We went out into the city and filmed it as it is,” she explained.
For the singer, Dar es Salaam is more than just a filming location.
“The city is not a backdrop in that video. It is the second subject.”
A sound influenced by Johannesburg and Tanzania
Although Bongo Flava and Afrobeats are central to her musical identity, Gray says her sound is also influenced by the R&B music she grew up listening to in Johannesburg.
She describes her style as a blend of Afrobeats and Bongo Flava, with R&B influences woven into her vocals and songwriting.
“The R&B is what I grew up on in Johannesburg. It is in my voice whether I plan it or not. The Bongo Flava is Tanzania; that is the sound I know in my body rather than in my head,” she said.
Her ability to move between English and Kiswahili is another defining feature of her music, allowing her to draw from both sides of her background.
And while “My Fever” introduces her to listeners, Gray is already looking towards future collaborations, particularly with South African artists. Having grown up in Johannesburg, she says working with local musicians is something she considers a natural extension of her musical journey.
“South Africa is home for me too. I grew up in Johannesburg. Collaborating here is not an ambition I am reaching towards from somewhere else; it is something I expect to do, and want to do soon,” she said.
For now, “My Fever” offers a first taste of what the emerging singer has to offer, with a debut that brings together her Tanzanian roots, Johannesburg influences and a collaboration with an artist she has long admired – IOL.
