Tanzanian rapper Rosa Ree has been granted a conditional reprieve by Barasa La Sanaa La Tanzania (BASATA) after appealing her six-month sentence over a raunchy music video with Timmy Tdat.
In a letter written by the National Arts Council board dated December 6, Rosa Ree whose real name is Rosary Roberts has been ordered to pay a fine of Ksh88,568 (TSh2 million) within one month and her suspension lifted.
“Baraza la sanaa la Taifa linapenda kukutaarifu kuwa ombi lako la kupunguziwa adhabu limekubaliwa baada ya kujutia kosa lako na kumuandikia barua Mh. Waziri wa habari, utamaduni, sanaa na michezo ili kuomba kupunguziwa adhabu.
“1. Kuanzia tarehe ya barua hii, unaruhusiwa kuendelea na shughuli za sanaa, hivyo adhabu uliyopewa ya kufungiwa miezi 6 imeondolewa, 2. Kulipa faini ya milioni 2, kama ulivyoagizwa na hii ilipwe ndani ya mwezi mmoja,” read the stament in part.
A move that saw the elated rapper take to Instagram in glee to thank BASATA and vowed to stick to outlined rules and regulations.
“Napenda kutoa shukrani kwa ofisi ya Waziri wa sanaa, habari, utamaduni na michezo Mhe. Harrison Mwakyembe na BASATA, kwa kuniruhusu kuendelea kufanya shughuli zangu za sanaa, naahidi kufanya kazi zangu ipasavyo na kuendelea kuipeperusha bendera ya nchi yangu,” she wrote.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5vAIDfnzNM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
The ‘Dip n Whine’ crooner was summoned by BASATA a month ago soon after the release of the song ‘Vitamin U’ which was released on the 1st of November 2019 featuring the Kenyan musician star; Tdat.
The statement read in part, “Baraza la Sanaa la Taifa (Basata) limemfungia msanii wa bongfleva nchini Tanzania Roza Ree kutojihusisha na muziki kwa miezi 6 kutokana na video ya wimbo wa Vitamin U aliyoshirikishwa na Msanii Timmy Tdat wa Kenya.”
The council according to the acting Secretary-general Onesmo Kayanda has also slapped the artiste with a fine of Tshs 2 million (Kshs 88k) for working in another country without the permission of Basata as required by regulations.
The song has since then been edited and a cleaner version uploaded on YouTube.