Veronica Adane and Rayvanny’s Bironica Nears 3 Million Views on YouTube

Bironica, the new song by the Ethiopian singer Veronica Adane and the Tanzanian star Rayvanny, topped a weekly chart of Ethiopian music videos on Sunday. The official video, posted on Veronica Adane’s YouTube channel on October 7, had about 2.95 million views by Monday morning.

The chart comes from YeneVibe, an Ethiopian music site that ranks 100 videos by the views they gained during the week. Bironica, written ቢሮኒካ in Amharic, was in first place. The tracking site ChartsList counted more than 150,000 new views for the video in the 24 hours to Monday morning.

A Love Song With Wolaita Roots

The music site CelebTunez reported that the song joins Ethiopian pop melodies with Tanzanian rhythms and draws on the culture of the Wolaita people of southern Ethiopia. The lyrics carry a romantic theme, while the video follows a young Wolaita girl as she weaves cotton cloth for her father, the site said. CelebTunez called the cloth Dungguza, a part of Wolaita traditional dress. In September, Wolaita Sodo, the main town of the Wolaita Zone, celebrated Gifaataa, the Wolaita new year.

CelebTunez listed Samson Adele, known as Sami Go, and Rayvanny as the writers. Gildo Kassa arranged the music, and Dawit Tsegaye, known as DaDa, produced it. Veronica served as executive producer, and Yosef Baye directed the video for 16 Production.

A day after the release, the music news site Peak Stan reported that the video had appeared on YouTube trending lists in several countries. It named the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Germany, Saudi Arabia and Canada. On Monday, ChartsList showed the video on trending lists in three countries, with its best place at 23rd in Lebanon. Peak Stan said the song was also released on streaming services.

Two Singers From Two Music Markets

Veronica released her first album, Meteriyaye, in August 2024. Before the release, the Ethiopian site Ethio Negari reported that the album had sold for 17 million birr. The site called it the highest price in Ethiopian music history. The same report said one song on the album also had a version in Swahili, the national language of Tanzania.

Rayvanny, whose real name is Raymond Shaban Mwakyusa, sings Bongo Flava, the pop music of Tanzania. He became famous in 2016 with the song “Kwetu,” while he was signed to WCB Wasafi, the record label of Diamond Platnumz. In 2017 he won the Black Entertainment Television (BET) Award for Viewers’ Choice Best New International Act. He later recorded “Mama Tetema” with the Colombian singer Maluma, and he now runs his own label, Next Level Music.

Teddy Afro Still Fills the Chart

Bironica sits at the top of a list that still holds many songs from Etorika, the album Teddy Afro released in April, according to YeneVibe’s chart. Twelve of the 100 places went to lyric videos from that album, led by “Shih Bibal” in fourth place. An Oromo song, “Leelloo Tiyya” by Aadam Mohaammad and Haliimaa Abdallaa, was second, and Medhanit Tamirat’s “Zafu” came third. Dagne Wale’s “Ere Hagere,” his tribute to Ethiopia, was 73rd.