Tanzanian Bongo Flava singer Yusuf Kilungi, alias Mbosso, has come forward to explain the deeply personal reason behind his emotional breakdown after singer Queen Darleen embraced him during the launch of his album ‘Room Number 3’ on June 12, 2025.
The tender moment saw Queen Darleen pause the music, asking the DJ to stop the song as Mbosso struggled to hold back tears in front of fans and fellow artistes.
Speaking to a local Tanzanian radio station on the night of Tuesday, June 24, 2025, Mbosso revealed that the emotional reaction was born from a profound and enduring bond between him and Queen Darleen, one that stretches back to their early days at Wasafi Records.
“It is love, and I can also say that the love between us is like family. Darleen and I were very close friends when I was at Wasafi Records, and we were also very close to Diamond,” Mbosso said.
He described their relationship as rooted in a love so deep it resembles that of family.
Mbosso explained that he and Queen Darleen were very close friends during his time at Wasafi Records and that they were also both close to Diamond Platnumz.
The friendship, he insisted, was more than casual, as it was built on mutual knowledge and understanding of each other’s lives.
“She was someone who knew my life deeply, and I knew hers as well.”
Mbosso said that Queen Darleen was someone who knew his life well, just as he knew hers.
He recalled moments when their lives intertwined beyond the studio, such as times he used to use her car when he had none and how they shared intimate knowledge of each other’s relationships.
He also shared that he had once taken her to meet her in-laws, while she, in turn, took him to meet hers, a gesture showing the closeness between them.
“At one point, I even used her car. She understood my relationships, and I understood hers. I once took her to meet her in-laws, and she took me to meet mine.”
Challenge
The ‘Aviola’ crooner also opened up about the many personal challenges they faced and how their relationship provided solace during difficult times.
He explained that they knew each other’s struggles deeply, creating a strong bond of love and support.
According to him, they once faced deeply humiliating challenges together, which he did not disclose in detail, but emphasised that sometimes such challenges do not require monetary solutions but rather a profound, intimate bond.
“I also knew her challenges, and she knew mine. We share a very strong love between us. There are also life struggles that we go through internally — there are moments when you need someone, not necessarily to give you money, but just to be there to hug you and support you. Sometimes, all you need is for someone to be present,” Mbosso said.
