Legendary Tanzanian singer Ray C opens up about her career downfall

Rehema Chalamila, known by her stage name Ray C, once a dominant force in the East African music scene, has recently shed light on the factors that led to the derailment of her flourishing career.

The former queen of Bongo flava, who ruled the music charts in the early 2000s with hits like ‘Na Wewe Milele’, ‘Mama Ntilie’, and ‘Uko Wapi’, revealed that her ex-partners played a significant role in her career’s decline.

“Back then, I was young and surrounded by many people, not knowing who was good or bad. I was young and loved people’s company. My love for socializing was my downfall. My downfall was because of those I kept close to, whether it was my lover or friends. Those I welcomed with open arms are the ones who brought me down,” Ray C shared.

Ray C admitted that her youthful desire to experience everything also contributed to her downfall.

“I wasn’t someone who would say no. Secondly, I trusted people too easily. If I was told to drink Tequila, there I was. If I was told to drink Malaika shots, there I was, not knowing what was in the drinks. In the end, it caught up with me. I was young, enthusiastic about life, and had money and fame. My downfall was my curiosity and eagerness to know everything. I rushed into things,” she explained.

Feeling a sense of responsibility to caution the younger generation, Ray C urged Gen Z girls to be cautious about their lifestyles, which she acknowledges resemble her past mistakes.

“These kids from the 2000s have a lifestyle that brought me down. I see them having the same curiosity and eagerness to know everything that I had,” she said.

In 2020, Ray C faced a particularly challenging period when she was sent back to the Life and Hope Rehabilitation Centre, known as ‘Sober House’, in Dar es Salaam.

This came after police rescued her during a suicide attempt. Her battle with drug addiction garnered the attention of former Tanzanian president Jakaya Magufuli, who financed her rehabilitation.

At the height of her addiction struggles, Ray C accused her former boyfriend, rapper Lord Eyez, of introducing her to drugs.

Despite these hardships, Ray C has managed to rebuild her life and currently resides overseas. Although her once-thriving music career has not fully recovered, she has regained stability and continues to share her story as a cautionary tale for others.

Related: “I left Tanzania because of my addiction to drugs’ – Ray C on why she chose to settle in France