Teen heartthrob, Naseeb Abdul alias ‘Diamond Platinumz,’ who was touring the Ngorongoro Crater, was forced to take refuge inside a Land cruiser, escaping from a pride of lions.

Diamond and Linah

The artists was being taken around in a ‘game drive,’ inside the wildlife packed crater when journalists asked him to disembark from his vehicle and conduct an interview on the shores of ‘Hippo Lake,’ on the heart of the crater.While the honey-voiced crooner wasn’t quite sure of standing near the lake full of large hippopotamuses he eventually mustered courage and got down for the media session.

However just as he was answering a couple of questions, a pride of lions appeared from a distance and seemed to take great interest on the people standing near the hippo pool, but directly facing the Moyo Wangu singer.“Listen guys, I am out of here,” said Diamond, as he took onto his heels, rushing into the safety of the Toyota Land Cruiser in which he had been riding.

‘Diamond,’ who among his hits is the song ‘Nitarejea,’ (I will be back), told journalists who had been interviewing him that he had no intention of ‘being back’ on the ground even after the lions had left. He conducted the rest of his interview from the car.

‘Diamond Platinumz,’ who is currently the local charts blazing artist was accompanied by fellow singer Estelinah Sanga alias ‘Linah,’ in their first ever trip to visit the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority.

The two artists have been chosen to be ‘teen’ ambassadors to promote the Crater in the ongoing polls to vote for Africa’s Seven Wonders of Nature in which the Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park and Mount Kilimanjaro contest among 12 other features from the continent.

Vincent Mbirika, the NCAA Public Relations Officer, said they have chosen the two artists because they have the convincing power to encourage the youth population in the country to vote for the crater as well as both the Mountain and National Park.

“Most votes are being cast online and in Tanzania it is the young people who mostly surf the web, spend a lot of time with computers, tablets and smart phones with which they can use to make all three local attractions excel into the continent’s new Seven Wonders,” said Mbirika.

Earlier, the Acting Conservator, Amiyo T. Amiyo said he was glad that, young people especially renowned local artistes were beginning to take interest in tourism matters.“For years we artists have been composing songs on love and romance avoiding other more important issues,” said ‘Diamond,’ explaining that it is mainly due to lack of exposure.

“This is my first time here and feel like I should stay in the crater forever, the nature is so wonderful, I appeal to all other singers to find time and tour our attractions,” said the artist.‘Linah,’ added that for years she has been seeing tourists coming to Tanzania but had no idea what brought them here; “I thought they were just curious to see the country but today I have discovered the secret; anybody would want to keep coming here,” she stated.

The Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB), Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) and Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) have joined hands in promoting the three attractions to feature into new ‘Seven Wonders.’

By MARC NKWAME, Tanzania Daily News