Tanzanian musician Harmonize has apologised over the content of his new song, called Weed Language, saying it violates the values and culture of his home country.
The song, about marijuana, is a collaboration with Jamaican dancehall artist Konshens and was released last week.
The lyrical refrain throughout the song is: “How do you call weed in your language?”. It then lists the terms for the drug in different countries.
Some of the words in Swahili describe the feeling that results from smoking marijuana.
In a statement, Harmonize’s managers said the song has been pulled down from social media platforms and its lyrics will be replaced by words that do not offend Tanzanian values.
Social use of marijuana is criminalised in Tanzania and attracts a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
This comes a day after the musician was summoned by the Tanzania Drug Control and Enforcement Unit for promoting consumption of marijuana in the song.
Harmonize also met with officials from the arts regulatory authority, Basata, before putting out the apology.
“The general leadership of Konde Gang Music Worldwide is apologizing over the content of my latest song Weed Language. The song has gone against the morals of our nation,” the statement by his managers said.
Harmonize had earlier said that the song was one of his main projects this month.
