Omary Ally Mwanga known professionally as Marioo, is a Tanzanian singer, songwriter, and music producer. He is known for songs such as "Bia Tamu", "Mama Amina", "Dear Ex", "Raha", "Mi Amor" and "Naogopa".
Omary Mwanga was born in TemekeDar es Salaam to Wandengereko parents from Pwani region of Tanzania.[1] He dropped out in Form One in secondary school and returned to Temeke, Dar es Salaam, to live with his mother again. While in Dar es Salaam, Marioo started working at his uncle's garage as a motor vehicle mechanic.[1][2]
Career
Marioo started as a songwriter, writing songs for other artists. Some of the songs he wrote include "Wapo" by Mwasiti, "Banana" by Dogo Janja, "Mchaka Mchaka" by Shilole, "Nampa Papa" by Gigy Money, "Nabembea" by Ditto.[3][4]
In 2015, he recorded vocals of his first song, "Dar Kugumu", which upon its release was well received by fans and made him a household name in Tanzania.[1]
Marioo went on to release other successful Bongo Flava singles such as "Raha", "Inatosha", "Asante", "For You", and "Anyinya, Chibonge, Ya Uchungu".[5]
In 2020, Marioo released his smash hit "Mama Amina", which was an Amapiano song infused with some elements of Bongo Flava. The song was ranked number 11 on the list of best Tanzanian songs of the decade ranging from 2012 to 2022.[6] His next Amapiano releases such as "Dear Ex", "Bia Tamu" and "Lonely" have marked his status as the king of Swahili Amapiano.[7][8][9]
In December 2021, Marioo released "Mi Amor" featuring Jovial from Kenya. The song also became a crossover hit with its visuals becoming the second most watched Tanzanian music video on Youtube in 2022.[10]Rolling Stone magazine ranked Marioo number 39 on its 40 Afropop songs of 2022.[citation needed]
In 2022, Omary won 3 Tanzania Music Awards from 7 nominations including Best Bongo Flava Song and Best Male Bongo Flava Artist.[11]
Marioo released his debut album The Kid You Know on December 9, 2022.[12] The 16 track album saw Marioo working with different music heavyweights such as Rayvanny, Tyla, Harmonize, and Ali Kiba.
NotJustOk's and Tanzanian music journalist, Charles Maganga praised The Kid You Know by stating that the album has "established Marioo as a mega Bongo Fleva star" and acclaimed Marioo's versatility as "different musical styles such as Amapiano, Afrobeats, and R&B while remaining true to his Bongo Fleva".[13]
In May 2023, Marioo released The deluxe edition of The Kid You Know with three additional singles, "Sing", "Tomorrow", and "Tunamjua".[14]
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