How Diamond Platnumz influenced Somali refugee to rise to musical fame

Abdirizak Ismail, popularly known as King Ojalia, has captured the hearts of many with his energetic dance routines and dedication to promoting Bongo music within the Somali community.

His musical journey began as a hobby but has since evolved into a significant partnership with popular singer Diamond Platnumz and Wasafi Media.

Diamond Platnumz, a renowned Tanzanian musician, is famous for his hit Bongo songs that often get millions of views on social media shortly after release. His fan base spans across the globe, including a considerable following within the Somali community. It was at this intersection that King Ojalia found his niche.

Inspired by Diamond Platnumz's style and songs, King Ojalia began dressing like the Tanzanian singer, grooming himself like Wasafi Media musicians, and hitting the streets of Eastleigh to dance to every new release.

He mostly recorded his performances and posted them on social media, replicating the dance moves from the music videos he watched on YouTube.

"I used to watch the video of the song immediately after it was released and I would work on how to dress and look like the musician on the video," he told The Eastleigh Voice.

Initially, King Ojalia did this for fun and his videos usually gained traction, garnering thousands of views from the Somali community who make up the majority of his followers.

The turning point came in 2019 when Wasafi Media and Diamond Platnumz noticed one of his videos. The video featured King Ojalia dancing to "Tetema", a song by Rayvanny featuring Diamond Platnumz.

Upon the release of "Tetema", it became an instant hit on social media, with thousands of fans mimicking the dance moves and sharing their versions online.

King Ojalia's rendition stood out within the Somali community, capturing the essence of the original performance. His video went viral, drawing hundreds of thousands of viewers on Instagram.

According to him, it was through his video that his community got to know "Tetema".

"At that time, tetema was still new and most of the community didn't know it existed until I did the video," he said.

"After my video went viral, others started listening or even doing the “Tetema” challenge. People in Mogadishu also did it and posted their videos on Facebook and Instagram."

In November 2022, King Ojalia's efforts paid off. He posted on his Instagram account a video of himself dancing to "Yataniua", a song released by Wasafi Media in October 2022. In the video, he wore a white jacket and rugged white jeans and had his hair plaited in the same style as musician Mbosso who was featured in the song. His dance moves were spot-on, mirroring the choreography from the original music video.

This performance caught the attention of both Diamond Platnumz and Wasafi Media. They shared King Ojalia's video on their social media accounts, praising his dedication and encouraging him to continue with his work.

Shortly after, Wasafi Media reached out to King Ojalia and offered him a contract to promote their songs within the Somali community, recognising his influence and the reach of his videos.

The opportunity excited King Ojalia. He described the moment as surreal, admitting that he had not expected his hobby would attract the attention of one of Africa's top musicians.

"I could not believe it for days; a superstar inboxing me was beyond my wildest dreams," he said.

While King Ojalia chose not to disclose the exact financial details of his contract, he mentioned that Wasafi Media pays him per song. His responsibilities include creating multiple videos for each song, often shot in different locations, mostly in Eastleigh and Nairobi's central business district. This arrangement has allowed him to turn his passion into a source of income while promoting Bongo music within his community.

Abdirizak Ismail, popularly known as King Ojalia. Photo: Ahmed Shafat

As he continues to dance and share his love for Bongo music, his influence within the Somali community and beyond grows.

His collaboration with Wasafi Media not only promotes the music but also bridges cultural gaps, bringing together fans from diverse backgrounds.

King Ojalia was born and raised at the Ifo refugee camp in Dadaab in 2001. He attended Halane Primary School and then went on to Ifo Secondary School, both located within the camp.

He initially aspired to be a cartoonist, though he spent much of his free time playing football. Dancing was not part of his plans, as his community is conservative and does not approve of public dancing, especially for young men like him.

After completing his secondary school education, King Ojalia moved to Nairobi in 2018 in search of better opportunities. However, life in Nairobi was challenging and he struggled to find employment. He lived with a friend and sometimes missed meals.

By mid-2018, King Ojalia began attending weddings uninvited to get meals and dance for the attendees. Each evening, he would go from one restaurant to another looking for weddings. If he found one, he would sneak in and start dancing to the music.

Somali weddings at night are mostly reserved for women, so his presence and dancing style amused the female guests. They recorded his performances and posted them on social media, which helped him gain recognition. Gradually, people began inviting him to at dance their weddings.

"At first, I did it for free, but as time went on, my dancing style caught the attention of many, and I started getting paid for my performances," he said.

Through this, King Ojalia not only made a name for himself but also created a source of income. By the end of 2019, he created accounts on Instagram and TikTok where he began posting videos of himself dancing at weddings. His videos received significant viewership.

After establishing his reputation, he started reducing his involvement in wedding dances and shifted to street performances to entertain his followers.

Currently, King Ojalia has almost half a million followers on TikTok, and some of his videos have been watched by millions of viewers.

One pinned video, featuring him dancing with a woman on the streets, has received 2.3 million views and 61,500 likes.