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Fred Zindi Music
In music circles, the year 2014 is definitely meant for  Mukudzei Mukombe aka Jah Prayzah. After scooping four awards on the February 15 at the recently held NAMA awards ceremony in Bulawayo, the vocally and gifted performer is already causing ripples throughout the country and he needs to be watched and controlled.
NAMA is the forum where NACZ recognizes outstanding achievements within the arts sector.

By rewarding excelling artists, NAMA stimulates more interest in the arts and raises the profile of the same.

The awards are a means of encouraging creativity and excellence in the quality of the arts, making Zimbabwe a force to reckon with on the international arena. Jah Prayzah is already making waves in places like South Africa, Britain and Canada.

I invited the lanky musician to my office for an interview last week and it took us 30 minutes after his arrival to settle down as scores of young University of Zimbabwe students mobbed him and they all wanted to have photographs taken with him.

Decked out in a brand new  sequined and close-fitting grey jacket which was laced with black lining on the outside, a black shirt and tie, well polished and shiny black shoes, and dreadlocks draped to the back of his head, Jah Prayzah was meticulously well-co-ordinated. He could have easily passed for a fashion model.

I was thinking to myself this man should have doubled up as a basket player. Even the NBA would have found him irresistible.

One student, Vimbai Mupawaenda, summed up the feelings of all the girls who had mobbed this star with these words, “Oh I love Jah Prayzah. I love his music and I would do anything to get close to that tall and handsome man!” Now I understand why women prefer tall men.

So often when you see your favourite musician at a live show, you are amazed at how small they are. Examples are Ammara Brown, Hope Masike, Dino Mudondo, Mic Inity and Guspy Warrior.

However, that is not the case with this lanky frontman of the Third Generation band known as Jah Prayzah. He certainly towers over all his band mates.

Standing formidably before me, I begged him to bend down to my short stature, so that we could start the interview.

I started off by asking him how he felt about being a NAMA winner this year and he told me how ecstatic he was about this achievement. We agreed that we should go to the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe and thank them for organising this event which gave Jah Prayzah the recognition that he deserves. A few minutes later, we were at the
NACZ offices where we spent the next hour talking to Elvas Mari, the director.

Mari also expressed his gratitude towards this well-behaved young man who had the courtesy to call upon him and thank him and his NACZ team for the sterling work.

That aside, Jah Prayzah informed me about future events happening in his career.

He is just about to launch a new ten-track album entitled “Kumbumura Mhute”. This will take place at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) on Wednesday, April 16.

As we did not have much time between us, I had the opportunity to listen to the first two of the ten tracks, “Sei Mambo” and “Kumaricho”. I tell you, they are a real knock-out.

This young man is really gifted. There is even a saxophone riff on the second track from Phillip Svosve which is likely to knock you out of your senses.

The rest of the tracks on the album are “Soja Rinosvika Kure”,”Kumagumo”, “Mukadzi Wangu”, “Makanika”, “Mukoma Makaoma”, the title track itself, “Kumbumura Mhute”, “Kumagumo”, “Kuperekedza Mwana” and “Dali Wangu”. “Kuperekedza Mwana” was a collaboration effort with a South African based musician known as Ningo while “Dali Wangu” was another duo with Botswana based Charma Girl.

This album is definitely going to cause a stir, not only in Zimbabwe, but also throughout the region. If you think the recent collaboration with Ammara Brown on “Kure Kure” was a real scorcher, then wait for it, you are in for another surprise.

I will definitely attend the launch on April 16, which I understand will also be graced by Charma Girl and possibly Ningo. Also performing on the night of the launch are Ammara Brown, Sulumani Chimbetu and other groups.

The last album launch which was held at Jazz 105 in Harare was spoiled by the fact that besides the launch sending revellers into spasms of delirium, some  prominent members of society who have the bug for excitement were so delirious that they started to make pledges to donate a housing stand and musical instruments worth $12,000 but never lived up to their promises when they became sober after the event. One of them on being asked, said, “I don’t remember pledging anything. Maybe I was too drunk on the night”.

When this year’s album launch is done, Jah Prayzah embarks on a tour of South Africa where he is billed to perform alongside Thomas ‘Mukanya’ Mapfumo on the April25, 26 and 27. Dr. Thomas Mapfumo will be coming from Oregon in the United States where he is currently based and no doubt hundreds of Zimbabweans will attend this show.
In South Africa, Jah Prayzah will also perform alongside another award- winning South African artiste called Uhuru.

I asked Jah Prayzah if he will be able to fit in his fans in Zimbabwe  into his busy schedule this year. “Yes indeed, we are planning a concert for Chitungwiza’s Aquatic Complex as soon as I come back from South Africa, possibly in the first week of May and another one in Harare Central mid-May. We are still working on the venues”.

With assistance from his cousin, Nigel Mushapaidze and Benjamin Nyandoro of Jive Zimbabwe, it looks like this dream will become a reality.

I find Jah Prayzah to be not only a hard working and focused individual, but also a composed and thoughtful young man with a vision who will go very far in the music industry.

He has already overtaken some of our musical giants in Zimbabwe and is about to demolish a few more.

He will do it if he lets go of all the pointless drama and the people who create it. He now needs to surround himself with people who give him constructive advice, forget the bad and focus solely on the good.

At the age of 26 Jah Prayzah has achieved a lot and there is no doubt that if he remains focused, he will do better than the CEO’s who are alleged to be on ill-gotten wealth.

Jah Prayzah was born in Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe on July 4, 1988. He has been at the forefront of Zimbabwe’s music since 2006.

Like many struggling musicians, the  release of his debut album in 2007 did not go down too well. This album failed. He was turned down by several record companies, but he did not give up.

As Bob Marley put it: “The stone that the builder refused, is gonna be the head-corner stone”.

Recognition came after he released his second album titled “Sungano Yerudo” (2009), which carried the monster hit “Sungano”. Ever since then, his graph has been on an escalation trend.

Last year his “Tsviriyo” album made it to the top and Jah Prayzah has since had no reason to look back after his past failures which he now put to experience.

It looks like in 2014, Jah Prayzah is unstoppable. Give thanks and praises to Jah!

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