Tinashe Sibanda

Tinashe Sibanda, known professionally as Bantu and formerly as T-Collar, is a Zimbabwean record producer, songwriter and musician based in the United States. His songwriting and production credits include recordings by Rita Ora, Fifth Harmony, Kevin Gates, Maroon 5, Jason Derulo, J Balvin, Camila Cabello and Pitbull.

Sibanda co-wrote and produced "Hey Ma", recorded by Pitbull and J Balvin featuring Camila Cabello for The Fate of the Furious: The Album. The Spanish-language version was nominated for Best Urban Song at the 18th Annual Latin Grammy Awards.

Early life and education Sibanda was born in Harare, Zimbabwe. He became interested in music production while growing up in Zimbabwe and began making beats at the age of 13, working from his mother's living room. As a teenager, he spent much of his time making music.

After finishing high school in Zimbabwe, Sibanda moved to the United States to study music. His musical influences include Zimbabwean musician Oliver Mtukudzi and American artists and producers Missy Elliott and Pharrell Williams.

As Bantu, Sibanda has released songs including "Holiday", "Roll with Me", "Leaving" and "Habibi".

Musical style and influences Sibanda has cited Zimbabwean musician Oliver Mtukudzi and American producers Missy Elliott and Pharrell Williams as influences on his production style. His recordings as Bantu combine African musical influences with pop, hip-hop, electronic dance music and reggae.

Selected songwriting and production credits Year Artist Recording Credit 2015 Fifth Harmony "Them Girls Be Like" Songwriter 2015 Rita Ora featuring Chris Brown "Body on Me" Songwriter, producer 2016 Kevin Gates "Know Better" Producer 2017 Pitbull and J Balvin featuring Camila Cabello "Hey Ma" Songwriter, producer 2017 Maroon 5 featuring ASAP Rocky "Whiskey" Songwriter 2017 Jason Derulo featuring French Montana "Tip Toe" Songwriter

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result 2017 Latin Grammy Awards Best Urban Song "Hey Ma"