The Blantyre Sports Club performance by Zimbabwe’s Jah Prayzah’s
was
a perfect Christmas gift to music lovers in Blantyre. The fans had to brave the
initial downpour just to make sure that they watch the Zimbabwean son.
His electrifying performance was a perfect gift as it
took the fans from Christmas Eve across into Christmas Day without them knowing
how time had flown past with such speed.
His bellowing voice thundered off the greens of the
Golf course where the stage was mounted but still shook into life some of the
patrons who had taken one too many and had dozed off.
Jah Prayzah showed why he has shared time in
recording studios with Africa’s current greats, Yemi Alade, Diamond Platnumz,
Davido, Mafikizolo, Oliver Mtukudzi etc…
The Zimbabwean contemporary musician, with his Third
Generation Band, with their signature band uniform of military regalia, went to
work and as professionals. And as professionals they never relented neither did
they gave out anything half-baked.
One thing decidedly noticeable is that Jah Prayzah is
not just a contemporary African musician but he equally and perfectly holds on
to a true African roots by not only word of mouth but he sings this African identity.
He sings in no any other language but Shona. He promotes the Zimbabwe Mbira
genre without stint or limit.
In Blantyre he did just that. Occasionally he
would play on Mbira, a traditional instrument of the Shona people
of Zimbabwe which is the main stay for the Mbira genre.
Everything about his music, in terms of lyrics, the
African beat and presentation is undoubtedly African the only freestanding
aspect that can safely not be linked to his huge African theme is his
performance name Jah Prayzah which sounds Jamaican. Of course his band name is
also strangely English – Third Generation Band.
Godwin Muzari Arts
Editor for The Herald wrote
that it is hard to ignore Jah Prayzah’s music in the era of Zimbabwe’s political
transition and that his songs, especially “Kutonga Kwaro” which means "How a leader
rules", are being played everywhere.
Muzari further wrote that since every
revolution is oiled by music that resonates with winds of change, Jah Prayzah’s
album “Kutonga Kwaro”, which was released 43 days before Emmerson Mnangagwa was sworn
in as Zimbabwe’s president, has dovetailed with the greatest political
development since the country’s independence which he said was the resignation
of Robert Mugabe.
Just to emphasize how he wants his music to
strictly hold on to African signature, Jah Prayzah did a collaboration which
features in his sixth studio album “Jerusarema” with the Jamaican
reggae great Luciano but all his contributions in this track are in Shona.
Looking at how things are flowing for him, one would
expect Jah Prayzah to be contented with his rich vein of form and therefore
going into his head by way of his actions.
On the stage at the Blantyre Sports Club, the fans
witnessed the performance of a down to earth artiste whose humility was
unbelievable especially looking at the sizeable crowd, by the Blantyre Sports
Club standard – that had come to see and dance to his tunes.
The Zimbabwe Defence Forces gave Jah Prayzah an
ambassadorial role which compels him to demystify the army and destroy the fear
that is generally associated with them.
Through his music and energy filled live
performances, Jah Prayzah aims to deliver this message and in Blantyre in the
wee hours of the Christmas night he perfectly did this by performing a fusion
of military brass band marching sound that sat well with his Mbira genre for
the joy of the fans that came for his performance.
It was a performance so unique that the earlier glitches
witnessed at the beginning of the show were all erased and people will give
their attention again to Agulugufe 1200 Limited when they will bring another
top notch musician to Malawi.
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