Timmy T Dat lands female musician in trouble with Government

Tanzanian musician Rosa Ree is in trouble with the Government over her controversial song called Vitamin U, which she featured Kenyan artiste Timmy T Dat.

The country’s arts board, BASATA, says Rosa Ree, whose real name is Rosary Robert, behaved inappropriately in Vitamin U’s music video, consequently, painting the country in bad light.

In the music video, which was uploaded to YouTube late last week; but later deleted, Rosa Ree, 24, is seen stark-naked in a bathtub with Timmy. Timmy can be seen cupping his hands around her bare breasts.

So lewd was the music video that YouTube users called for it to be pulled down.

And, on November 4, the song was removed from YouTube in unclear circumstances. Timmy, however, said that somebody had claimed ownership of the music video, resulting in the strike.

Following heavy backlash and calls for disciplinary action against the two musicians, Tanzania’s BASATA on Wednesday, November 6 summoned Rosa Ree to their offices in the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, where they interrogated her for hours.

The agency’s deputy executive secretary, Onesmo Kayanda, told journalists that Rosa Ree will not escape punishment, whatsoever, for her “wrongs”.

“She should have submitted the content for classification before broadcasting it. She worked with a Kenyan artiste without showing us a copy of the contract that she entered into with him, that is against our regulations. It is clear that the musician lacks discipline, and we are sure she will be punished,” said Kayanda.

“We have freed her today [Wednesday, November 6] as we continue with investigations. However, we will summon her back when the exercise ends.”

In her defense, Rosa Ree said: "I did not know that posing nude on video was a crime in Tanzania."

Some of the punitive measures Rosa Ree could face include being barred from active participation in music. That means, she will not be able to earn from her music. Rosa Ree could also be barred from using social media.