For Tanzanian Afro-fusion artist Tabanako, music did not begin with a carefully mapped-out career plan. It started much closer to home, watching his brother make music, writing for him and gradually discovering that he too had something to say through sound.
Born Olowa Vovoo on July 6, Tabanako initially imagined a very different future for himself. Before music took hold of his imagination, his first dream was to become a pilot. But growing up around music eventually changed the direction of his life.
His brother, Tanzanian artist Igwee Pah One, played a central role in that transformation.
A childhood surrounded by music
In the early 2000s, Igwee Pah One was part of the Tanzanian music group PAH-ONE, whose work included hip-hop, Afrobeat and traditional Tanzanian influences. Watching his brother and his friends create music became the beginning of Tabanako’s own relationship with the art.
At first, he was not necessarily thinking about becoming a recording artist himself.
He began by writing for his brother and eventually became his personal writer. As his involvement deepened, he moved from writing to singing alongside him, gradually developing the confidence to pursue music as a solo artist.
“My brother was the reason I fell in love with music,” Tabanako recalls. “I started by writing for him, watching him do it and seeing him have fun with his friends.”
That experience gave him an early education in music that went beyond simply listening to songs. He was able to watch artists create, collaborate, and perform from close range.
Over time, the younger brother who had been helping with writing began finding his own voice.
From the writer’s corner to the recording booth
Tabanako still remembers his first experience inside a recording booth.
The opportunity came unexpectedly through one of his brother’s friends, a producer who was working on a song and needed someone to contribute a verse. Tabanako was called in, and he accepted the opportunity.
The song was titled Moment.
“One of my brother’s friends, a producer who was working at the time, called me. He had this beat and wanted me to put a verse on it. I went and did just that,” he says.
It was his first time standing behind a recording booth, but the moment stayed with him.
“I still remember the moment like yesterday,” he says.
That first recording experience marked an important transition. What had started as an interest inspired by his brother was becoming a personal musical journey.
An Afro-fusion artist with a bigger message
Today, Tabanako describes his music as Afro fusion, but he does not want his identity to be restricted by genre.
For him, the more important question is what his music communicates.
He wants Tabanako to be associated with love, positivity, and spiritual upliftment, regardless of the musical style through which those ideas are expressed.
“The kind of sound I would love Tabanako to be known for is spreading love and positive spiritual upliftment, regardless of the genre my voice will be on,” he explains.
That outlook is also reflected in what he hopes listeners take from his music.
Tabanako believes people need to make greater efforts to understand one another, forgive and show love, particularly in a world that can be difficult to navigate.
“We all need to love each other and take time to understand one another and forgive each other, because the world is not easy,” he says.
For an artist still developing his catalogue, that provides a clear sense of purpose. His ambition is not simply to make songs, but to use music as a vehicle for a message he believes people need to hear.
Inspired by good music
Tabanako describes himself as a music addict and says his influences are broad.
Rather than identifying only one or two artists as his inspiration, he says he has drawn inspiration from artists who excel at using their musical gifts.
“I love good music. I have been inspired by almost every artist who does well with the gift of music,” he says.
His own list of artists he would like to work with includes three major names in African popular music: Wizkid, Burna Boy and Davido.
The choices also reflect the wider direction of his ambitions. Tabanako does not want his music to remain confined to one market.
Beyond representing one country
For Tabanako, being a Tanzanian artist is part of his identity, but he also sees himself within a much larger African story.
He says he would like to represent Africa more broadly and move beyond the idea that African artists must always be defined by individual national identities.
“I always wish to represent Africa more because I think we need to as Africans and break that idea of ‘I am representing this country or that’,” he says.
That Pan-African outlook is connected to what he hopes international audiences will discover through his work.
He wants listeners outside Tanzania to see the generosity of Tanzanian people, appreciate the country’s beauty and discover more of what Africa has to offer.
“I want them to discover the generosity of my people, as well as the beauty of the country and more of what God has blessed Africa with,” he says.
Learning, healing and preparing for what comes next
Tabanako has not released new music for some time, but he says that is set to change.
He is currently planning his return to releasing music while spending this period learning and working on himself.
“I am currently working on healing and learning as much as I can,” he says.
The period of reflection also appears to have influenced how he views the demands of an artistic career.
One of his biggest challenges has been trying to carry every aspect of the work himself. The experience has taught him the importance of collaboration and building a team.
“My biggest challenge is carrying all the work by yourself,” he explains. “One thing I have learned is that it is okay to join hands and work as a team, because the cake is too big for one person. We can all eat.”
It is a lesson that could become increasingly important as he looks to expand his music beyond Tanzania.
A vision that goes beyond music
Tabanako’s ambitions extend far beyond recording songs and performing on stage.
He hopes his talent can help lift other people and eventually contribute to creating foundations, companies, schools, and hospitals for his people.
“My biggest ambition as Tabanako is to lift up as many people as I can with my talent,” he says.
That vision places music within a broader idea of service and community development.
For now, however, he continues to build his artistic identity and prepare for the next stage of his career.
Away from music, Tabanako says he enjoys walking in nature, watching movies and spending time alone. Those quieter moments offer a contrast to the collaborative and public nature of music.
Finding his own voice
From watching Igwee Pah One and the PAH-ONE group in the early 2000s, to becoming his brother’s writer, singing alongside him and eventually stepping forward as a solo artist, Tabanako’s journey has been one of gradual discovery.
His story is not simply about moving from one stage of a music career to another. It is also about finding purpose in an art form he first encountered through someone close to him.
Now, with new music being planned and a desire to connect with audiences beyond Tanzania, he appears focused on building something that reflects both his musical ambitions and his belief in the power of love, healing and collective progress.
And his message to anyone who encounters his music is simple.
“If you come across my work and you love it, please make sure your friends get to feel that love too.”
