For those who have spent years in the Tanzanian music scene, it’s no secret that one of the hardest things for any person to pull off, is a proper artistic rebrand. Yet, through his latest project titled Afro Jungle, Mr Joel Joseph, formerly known as Mr Puaz and former manager of Tanzanian heavyweights including Harmonize, has proven that rebranding is not only possible, but it can also be done with style.
When Mr Puaz stepped away from managing Harmonize in 2019, the Tanzanian music industry was left in shock. Media outlets, including the BBC, covered the split, while many industry insiders wondered how the music scene would move forward as one of its key warriors left the battle.
Unlike most managers who might have thrown shade or stirred up drama around their artists, Mr Puaz took a different path. For about five years since leaving his role as a manager at what is often described as Tanzania’s leading music label, Joel quietly laid the groundwork for his next move.
Having an in-depth knowledge of the Tanzanian music industry, instead of letting another artist ride on his expertise, he decided to step into the spotlight himself, reintroducing himself as an artist under his own name, Joel Joseph.
For someone born in Arusha and with the vast exposure he has, Mr Puaz, in his new rebrand as Joel Joseph, has arrived with a brand-new EP titled Afro Jungle. To anyone with a keen ear for music, this EP is a summary of Joel’s hidden talent, which he had long kept under the shadow of managing other artists.
At the same time, it’s an EP whose sound is far from selfish, being not just for Tanzanian ears but for music lovers far and wide, carrying the ambition to take not only Mr Puaz’s music but the entire Tanzanian music industry to the stratosphere.
Joel’s deep knowledge of the Tanzanian music industry shines through from the very first track on the EP, titled Mash Mash, an upbeat yet soulful song that tells listeners to shake off their stress and hit the dance floor with pure joy.
Based on its ambience and lyrics, if Joel Joseph were Nigerian, this track would be the perfect anthem for Detty December. The beauty of the song lies in its versatility, as the vocals could easily fool you into thinking Fireboy DML is featured on the track, yet the lyrics cross borders and can resonate with Africans from South Africa to Algeria.
To surprise his listeners, Joel changes gears in the second track titled Simama. At first listen, it might sound like a heartbreak song, but it’s actually a comforting anthem, offering hope and encouragement to those on the verge of giving up.
If anything, Joel’s meticulous attention to production is evident in this track since every instrument, from the trumpets to the soft drums, is carefully crafted and clearly heard. This track serves as a decisive response to critics who have claimed that Tanzanian music productions are weak as the track proves them wrong.
Are you planning a sendoff or wedding soon? The third track on the EP titled Higher Love is a certified romantic blockbuster that should be on your wedding playlist.
When Joel sings, “You brought the stars in my darkness, the fire in my chest,” it shows just how well he has crafted a song filled with innocent love lyrics that truly touches the heart. With the right promotion, this track has all it takes to become a signature song for Tanzanian weddings and ceremonies, much like Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is for the Christmas season.
Nakupenda is another love song that rounds off the four-track EP in a way Sauti Sol once described as “short and sweet.” In this upbeat track, Joel boldly declares his love for his partner, unafraid to shout it from the rooftop. Beyond being a guaranteed club favorite in Dar es Salaam, it’s only a matter of time before Gen Z adopts this track as their TikTok anthem.
If anything, this EP clearly demonstrates how much Joel has grown as an artist and how willing he is to take bold risks. Traditionally, young artists are expected to stick to pure Bongo Flava or Baibuda heartbreak songs to connect with the local audience.
But with this EP, Joel has broken through those expectations, stepping out of his comfort zone to create music that not only entertains Tanzanians and Swahili speakers but also resonates with listeners across East Africa and the entire continent. It’s no surprise he named it Afro Jungle instead of Swahili Jungle.
