Zimpapers Logo

Jah Prayzah on stage in Australia. — (Picture by Reason Wafawarova)

From Reason Wafawarowa in SYDNEY, Australia
Jah Prayzah, real name Mukudzei Mukombe, held successful shows in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Perth last week. The 27-year-old creative and sprightly artiste lived up to high expectations that go with his impressive brand, and his scintillating backing group, the Third Generation, did not disappoint.

The sound system was superb, the choreography was sumptuous, and the two dancing ladies got the crowds delirious.

In Sydney, the group played to an impassioned crowd of about 300, most of whom were ladies, and the sing-along and dancing was indicative of the homesickness in the Zimbabwean Diaspora community.

In a backstage interview with this reporter, Jah Prayzah could hardly come to terms with the excitement of his fans in Sydney.

The fans responded well to songs like “Tsviriyo”, “Kumbumura mhute”, “Sungano” and “Gochi Gochi”.

At the end of the show, the musicians had to be escorted to a waiting vehicle as fans jostled to get a glimpse of him, many of them scrambling to have photos taken with him.

He said, “I just want to thank God for uniting me with fans I never knew existed.

“It is humbling to see so many people screaming with happiness, singing and dancing along to just about every song we sang.

“I would like to thank my promoter, and hopefully we will get another opportunity to visit Australia again.”

The musician also said he hoped his next tour would include at least one or two family shows to allow children and those fans who were babysitting an opportunity to see him perform.

The organisers of the tour said the shows were for charity, and all proceeds would go to fund scholarships for underprivileged children and young people in Zimbabwe. The charity behind this noble cause is called Independent Research and Training on Social Change (IRATOSC).

The spokesperson for IRATOSC, Dr Ronald Murambi, said: “The main goals for the tour were to raise funds and awareness for the projects we are currently running at IRATOSC. All net profit will be injected straight into the charity organisation.”

Asked on the organisation’s future plans, he said there were plans to bring in more African artistes in the future, and he said he did not see why they should not consider bringing Jah Prayzah back to Australia in the near future.

Dr Murambi thanked all people who came for the shows, saying without their support the noble intentions of IRATOSC would be hard to achieve.