Jah Prayzah was born Mukudzeyi Mukombe on the 4th of July 1987 to John and Shirly Mukombe. He is the last born in a family of five and grew up in a tight nit, culturally groomed family. He did his primary and secondary schooling in the rural areas of the Muswe area at Musanhi primary and secondary school respectively. As a teenager he loved playing mbira, singing, writing, and hunting and would occasionally go for a swim in the local rivers with his teenage friends. Life to him was just for fun and he had no single idea that someday his hobby would put food on his table for him and his family. He read hundreds on Shona novels at that time grooming a pool of vernacular language base that would form a great poet, and then again to him it was just for fun.
His high school Shona teacher Mrs. Mukarati would take him for the extra mile through the free mentorship she offered him, this to him has strengthened the vocabulary that has made him popular today. He would also attend personal mbira lessons with his then Geography teacher, Mr. Musimbe, the two of which would record their underground music with their Panasonic radio which was compatible with a single microphone and would automatically save the sound on audio tapes.
Time went by and Mukudzeyi, later moved to Harare where he stayed with his Uncle, Jonah Savanhu, in Budiriro, a high density suburb, where he met with friends who were equally passionate about music. This was the beginning of a journey, a journey that then seemed to have very little light at the end of the tunnel.
Career
In Budiriro Jah Prayzah would record dancehall and reggae tracks with some of his friends with some tracks that made the suburb crazy but failed to hit the national music scene. He later decided to venture into his longtime hobby, that of contemporary music and afro jazz, and recorded tracks with DJ Thando and other local DJs, releasing hits such as Sorry Mama and Seiko, these tracks caught the ears of many but little knew about the man himself. He later did and album called Rudo nerunyararo in 2007 including the track Zororo which was a banger amongst his handful of fans and later got more recognition as the musician rose to fame, the album failed to hit the commercial scene and was just one to include in the collection.
His first commercially launched album was Sungano yeRudo which included the hit track Sungano, a song he even credits for his recognition by the fans country wide. Back then he was better known as the “Sungano Guy” rather than his preferred name “Jah Prayzah”. The album earned him the much needed attention, catching the eyes of one of Zimbabwe’s biggest music promoters, Patson Chimbodza, known to many as Chipaz. He began to promote the youngster and would hire him for his events where Jah Prayzah would play for free as he seeked a stage to perform on and prove his talent. Many people, however, did not like his vocals then and at some point some high end fans would pay Chipaz not to bring Jah Prayzah on stage because they classified his live performance as “Noise”.
“It was a tough time, and being ‘a nobody’, I felt helpless. I did not give up though, music has always been my passion. Why did Chipaz decide to promote me in the first place? That’s the question I always asked myself. So I strived and at that stage I learnt that the industry I was getting into was tough, I would meet critics along the way, but to survive, I should learn how to change the negatives into positives”, the lanky musician said, in an interview.
Determined to succeed, he went on to release the album Ngwarira Kuparara, which contained club bangers such as Gotchi Gotchi, Maria, Ngwarira Kuparara and Dande, a track which featured the late Chiwoniso Maraire. Ngwarira Kuparara was the breakaway he always dreamt about. It quickly put him in the spotlight and he became a household name as fans rocked to the tracks in-house, in clubs and at parties as well. He fast became a must get artist, and was quickly offered a contract for the Wednesday slots at the then popular Jazz 105 joint.
The album took him to greater heights and many fans feared for his future in the music industry as they though he could never get better than this and it was too early a stage for an upcoming musician to release a hit packed album. On the New Year’s Eve of 2013, on the popular radio top hundred count down hosted by Radio Zimbabwe and sponsored by Coca Cola, Jah Prayzah took all top three spots, a first in history occurrence and bagged all awards for those spots with songs Gotchi Gotchi, Maria and Chirangano.
In 2013 Jah Prayzah released his fourth album titled Tsviriyo, the album came as a surprise to many including critics as it lived up to the fast rising star’s billing. The album had tracks that included Tsviriyo the title track, Mwanasikana, Ngoda, Machembere and Tsamba amongst other successful hits. The album appealed so much to fans such that they eventually placed him amongst Zim’s living greats and went on to break award records and Zimbabwean music chats. Jah Prayzah was dubbed Man of the Momement for 2013-14 as a result of the hit album which was awarded best music album by Nama in 2014 for the year 2013.
“I knew I was fast becoming a fan favourite, but had not imagined the height of my popularity, honestly I am truly grateful for the faith they put in me from the beginning. That is the sole reason why I am still here and will continue to make good music for them.” Jah Prayzah said in an interview.
After the successful launch of Tsviriyo he then released a DVD for six of the tracks on the album with the Mwanasikana video going on to scoop the best video for the year 2013 at the NAMA awards to add on to the numerous awards he bagged in the year 2013. No doubt Jah Prayzah was now truly a matured talent and less of a phenomenon as he had proven his abilities beyond any reasonable doubt.
16 April 2014 marked another historical moment as Jah Prayzah released another sensational album, Kumbumura Mhute which is the latest to date. The album was received at mixed feelings at first as critics tried to pull the soldier down through journalistic tactics but this was to no avail as Jah Prayzah lived up to one of his track’s title, “Soja Rinosvika Kure” (The soldier that cannot be deterred). He went on to fill venues with thousands of fans with many successful gigs being held as a result of the new piece of art that turned out to be a master piece.
Kumbumura Mhute included tracks such as Makanika, Mukoma makaoma, Mukadzi Wangu, a duet with Charma Girl of Culture Spears title Darlie Wangu and the title track, Kumbumura Mhute amongst many others. The album remains as Jah Prayzah’s latest offerings and is still causing waves in the streets of Zimbabwe. He then compiled all single tracks he had done before becoming the household name he is now which had failed to hit the waves but carried unique vocal talents that deserved to be heard by Zimbabweans and put them in one album titled Dura, which now effectively is his first music album before Rudo nerunyararo as all the tracks were released in 2006. Iri ndiro SOJA RINOSVIKA KURE.
Achievements and Endorsements
Zimbabwe Defense Forces Culture Ambassador
Chicken Slice Brand Ambassador
PSI Brand Ambassador
Champions Insurance Brand Ambassador
Awards
2013
NAMA award for song of the year – Gotchi Gotchi
Zimbabwe Peace ambassador award
2014
NAMA award for song of the year – Tsviriyo
NAMA award for album of the year – Tsviriyo
NAMA award for video of the year – Mwanasikana
NAMA people’s choice award
NAMA male artist of the year
Zim Dream Online award
Ngoma Award (for Male Circumcision Jingle – PSI)
Evolution of the name Jah Prayzah
Being linked to the reggae music genre and some shared beliefs the name Jah has always stuck to him as Jah is God in Jamaican language, just the same as Mwari in our Shona culture. The name Jah Prayzah was derived from Mukudzeyi meaning Praise HIM (God). So Jah being God and Mukudzeyi being praising, the name Jah Prayzah simply came by and Mukudzeyi has been known by that name till now. Third Generation Band Mukudzeyi moved from digital music to live instruments and thus a band was formed in 2007 which has been known since then as the 3rd Generation Band. It consists of eleven stage members and five non stage members and these include:
Filda Muchabaiwa – Band Manager
Lloyd Kurima – Coordinator
Blessing Moyo – Bass Guitarist
Kudakwashe Masango
Darlington Kamukono – Backing Vocalist
Wesley Sayikonda – Drum Player
Biggie Katuka – Keyboard Player
Braveman Chizvino – Lead Guitarist
Fatima Katiji – Backing Vocalist
Talent Karombe – Dancer
Elvis Chinounda – Dancer
Pamela Zulu – Backing Vocalist
Luckmore Mucheriwa – Engineer
Only two of the original members remained with band as things got tough and many could not hold on. The original members are Blessing Moyo and Kudakwashe Masango, they have stood by the band through thick and thin and are now enjoying the fruits of their endurance.
“Jah Prayzah is incomplete without 3rd Generation, I owe a huge chunk of my success to my band. They are equally talented in their own respect and have played their part in the scripting of our history and future. I have no complains with anyone, and do not wish to add on to the band as I believe it is the best I can possible have for now.” Said Jah Prayzah.
And truly Jah Prayzah is incomplete without 3rd Generation, ever since formation of the band, Jah Prayzah has never done a solo performance and possibilities of a future solo performance are very slim for the coming years.
Little can now be said about the soldier, Jah Prayzah as much has already been highlighted and being a spectacle in the public eye, leaves very little for revelation. The years in music have been very successful for him but having come from a rather tough and humble beginning it can surely be said it’s now sweet after sweat.
His high school Shona teacher Mrs. Mukarati would take him for the extra mile through the free mentorship she offered him, this to him has strengthened the vocabulary that has made him popular today. He would also attend personal mbira lessons with his then Geography teacher, Mr. Musimbe, the two of which would record their underground music with their Panasonic radio which was compatible with a single microphone and would automatically save the sound on audio tapes.
Time went by and Mukudzeyi, later moved to Harare where he stayed with his Uncle, Jonah Savanhu, in Budiriro, a high density suburb, where he met with friends who were equally passionate about music. This was the beginning of a journey, a journey that then seemed to have very little light at the end of the tunnel.
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| About Jah Prayzah: Mukudzeyi Mukombe |
In Budiriro Jah Prayzah would record dancehall and reggae tracks with some of his friends with some tracks that made the suburb crazy but failed to hit the national music scene. He later decided to venture into his longtime hobby, that of contemporary music and afro jazz, and recorded tracks with DJ Thando and other local DJs, releasing hits such as Sorry Mama and Seiko, these tracks caught the ears of many but little knew about the man himself. He later did and album called Rudo nerunyararo in 2007 including the track Zororo which was a banger amongst his handful of fans and later got more recognition as the musician rose to fame, the album failed to hit the commercial scene and was just one to include in the collection.
His first commercially launched album was Sungano yeRudo which included the hit track Sungano, a song he even credits for his recognition by the fans country wide. Back then he was better known as the “Sungano Guy” rather than his preferred name “Jah Prayzah”. The album earned him the much needed attention, catching the eyes of one of Zimbabwe’s biggest music promoters, Patson Chimbodza, known to many as Chipaz. He began to promote the youngster and would hire him for his events where Jah Prayzah would play for free as he seeked a stage to perform on and prove his talent. Many people, however, did not like his vocals then and at some point some high end fans would pay Chipaz not to bring Jah Prayzah on stage because they classified his live performance as “Noise”.
“It was a tough time, and being ‘a nobody’, I felt helpless. I did not give up though, music has always been my passion. Why did Chipaz decide to promote me in the first place? That’s the question I always asked myself. So I strived and at that stage I learnt that the industry I was getting into was tough, I would meet critics along the way, but to survive, I should learn how to change the negatives into positives”, the lanky musician said, in an interview.
Determined to succeed, he went on to release the album Ngwarira Kuparara, which contained club bangers such as Gotchi Gotchi, Maria, Ngwarira Kuparara and Dande, a track which featured the late Chiwoniso Maraire. Ngwarira Kuparara was the breakaway he always dreamt about. It quickly put him in the spotlight and he became a household name as fans rocked to the tracks in-house, in clubs and at parties as well. He fast became a must get artist, and was quickly offered a contract for the Wednesday slots at the then popular Jazz 105 joint.
The album took him to greater heights and many fans feared for his future in the music industry as they though he could never get better than this and it was too early a stage for an upcoming musician to release a hit packed album. On the New Year’s Eve of 2013, on the popular radio top hundred count down hosted by Radio Zimbabwe and sponsored by Coca Cola, Jah Prayzah took all top three spots, a first in history occurrence and bagged all awards for those spots with songs Gotchi Gotchi, Maria and Chirangano.
In 2013 Jah Prayzah released his fourth album titled Tsviriyo, the album came as a surprise to many including critics as it lived up to the fast rising star’s billing. The album had tracks that included Tsviriyo the title track, Mwanasikana, Ngoda, Machembere and Tsamba amongst other successful hits. The album appealed so much to fans such that they eventually placed him amongst Zim’s living greats and went on to break award records and Zimbabwean music chats. Jah Prayzah was dubbed Man of the Momement for 2013-14 as a result of the hit album which was awarded best music album by Nama in 2014 for the year 2013.
“I knew I was fast becoming a fan favourite, but had not imagined the height of my popularity, honestly I am truly grateful for the faith they put in me from the beginning. That is the sole reason why I am still here and will continue to make good music for them.” Jah Prayzah said in an interview.
After the successful launch of Tsviriyo he then released a DVD for six of the tracks on the album with the Mwanasikana video going on to scoop the best video for the year 2013 at the NAMA awards to add on to the numerous awards he bagged in the year 2013. No doubt Jah Prayzah was now truly a matured talent and less of a phenomenon as he had proven his abilities beyond any reasonable doubt.
16 April 2014 marked another historical moment as Jah Prayzah released another sensational album, Kumbumura Mhute which is the latest to date. The album was received at mixed feelings at first as critics tried to pull the soldier down through journalistic tactics but this was to no avail as Jah Prayzah lived up to one of his track’s title, “Soja Rinosvika Kure” (The soldier that cannot be deterred). He went on to fill venues with thousands of fans with many successful gigs being held as a result of the new piece of art that turned out to be a master piece.
Kumbumura Mhute included tracks such as Makanika, Mukoma makaoma, Mukadzi Wangu, a duet with Charma Girl of Culture Spears title Darlie Wangu and the title track, Kumbumura Mhute amongst many others. The album remains as Jah Prayzah’s latest offerings and is still causing waves in the streets of Zimbabwe. He then compiled all single tracks he had done before becoming the household name he is now which had failed to hit the waves but carried unique vocal talents that deserved to be heard by Zimbabweans and put them in one album titled Dura, which now effectively is his first music album before Rudo nerunyararo as all the tracks were released in 2006. Iri ndiro SOJA RINOSVIKA KURE.
Achievements and Endorsements
Zimbabwe Defense Forces Culture Ambassador
Chicken Slice Brand Ambassador
PSI Brand Ambassador
Champions Insurance Brand Ambassador
Awards
2013
NAMA award for song of the year – Gotchi Gotchi
Zimbabwe Peace ambassador award
2014
NAMA award for song of the year – Tsviriyo
NAMA award for album of the year – Tsviriyo
NAMA award for video of the year – Mwanasikana
NAMA people’s choice award
NAMA male artist of the year
Zim Dream Online award
Ngoma Award (for Male Circumcision Jingle – PSI)
Evolution of the name Jah Prayzah
Being linked to the reggae music genre and some shared beliefs the name Jah has always stuck to him as Jah is God in Jamaican language, just the same as Mwari in our Shona culture. The name Jah Prayzah was derived from Mukudzeyi meaning Praise HIM (God). So Jah being God and Mukudzeyi being praising, the name Jah Prayzah simply came by and Mukudzeyi has been known by that name till now. Third Generation Band Mukudzeyi moved from digital music to live instruments and thus a band was formed in 2007 which has been known since then as the 3rd Generation Band. It consists of eleven stage members and five non stage members and these include:
Filda Muchabaiwa – Band Manager
Lloyd Kurima – Coordinator
Blessing Moyo – Bass Guitarist
Kudakwashe Masango
Darlington Kamukono – Backing Vocalist
Wesley Sayikonda – Drum Player
Biggie Katuka – Keyboard Player
Braveman Chizvino – Lead Guitarist
Fatima Katiji – Backing Vocalist
Talent Karombe – Dancer
Elvis Chinounda – Dancer
Pamela Zulu – Backing Vocalist
Luckmore Mucheriwa – Engineer
Only two of the original members remained with band as things got tough and many could not hold on. The original members are Blessing Moyo and Kudakwashe Masango, they have stood by the band through thick and thin and are now enjoying the fruits of their endurance.
“Jah Prayzah is incomplete without 3rd Generation, I owe a huge chunk of my success to my band. They are equally talented in their own respect and have played their part in the scripting of our history and future. I have no complains with anyone, and do not wish to add on to the band as I believe it is the best I can possible have for now.” Said Jah Prayzah.
And truly Jah Prayzah is incomplete without 3rd Generation, ever since formation of the band, Jah Prayzah has never done a solo performance and possibilities of a future solo performance are very slim for the coming years.
Little can now be said about the soldier, Jah Prayzah as much has already been highlighted and being a spectacle in the public eye, leaves very little for revelation. The years in music have been very successful for him but having come from a rather tough and humble beginning it can surely be said it’s now sweet after sweat.
