IF the master of ceremony’s sentiments at last week’s inauguration of President Emerson Mnangagwa are anything to go by, then the ruling Zanu PF confirmed that musician Jah Prayzah is one of the party’s praise singers.
The Kutonga Kwaro hit maker was the headline act at the inauguration of Mnannagwa after a disputed election held on August 23 and 24.
He opened his set with Chiremerera, his title track for the recently launched album before he was ordered by the master of ceremony to follow up with Kutonga Kwaro.
“Now Jah Prayzah may you perform Kutonga Kwaro, that’s your last song and that’s the best of your songs and it’s our president’s favorite song,” the MC and the outgoing Local Government minister July Moyo commanded the musician.
Jah Prayzah performed Kutonga Kwaro much to the excitement of Mnangagwa, who stood up to dance as he couldn’t resist the music and its politically charged message re-counting his rise to power.
Jah Prayzah was then ordered to perform the last song after Kutonga Kwaro.
“You can perform one more last song for three minutes," said the master of ceremony.
"We thank you for standing by the party Zanu PF and also standing by President Mnangagwa.
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"May you keep it up, this is good work,”
In the middle of his last song performance, Moyo interrupted and ordered Jah Prayzah to stop.
“Hallo Hallo Jah Prazyah, chimira tazvinzwa (stop right there, we have heard your music enough),” he said, to pave way for other activities.
The ‘Hallo Hallo Jah Prayzah’ incident can be juxtaposed to a Zanu PF rally in Mutare, addressed by the late Robert Mugabe where Soul Jah Love was dressed down after the then Zanu PF youth leader Innocent Hamandishe ordered him off stage.
Hamandishe was irked by the fans reaction to the presence of the music, the artist attracted much of the attention from the then 93-year-old Mugabe.
“Apoo hei hei, ndo-indiscipline iyoyo . . . Soul Jah Love hachisi chinhu . . . mukadaro haaridzi pano,” Hamandishe, told the party supporters, as Soul Jah Love’s fans could not wait to see him perform.
“Makuda kutiudzira kuti Soul Jah Love zvine basa rei, cutter-yi zvamuri kuita kumberi uko . . . iwe Soul Jah Love ita discipline dzokera ugare kumashure uko . . . chii chaunoda kuti itira ipapapo . . . wakufarisa,” he further said.
The artist was quick to respond with a song, which he described himself as a big deal after being labelled ‘nothing and worthless’ by Hamandishe.
Jah Prayzah’s Kutonga kwaro was released at the height of factional fights within Zanu PF in 2017. It was to announce the arrival of a new ruler and music fans extended the album title to Kutonga kwaro Garwe, in reference to Mnangagwa.
The title track became the sound track of the military , which toppled the now late Mugabe, following fierce factional fights between the G40 which favoured Mugabe and Lacoste which represented the older generation and pushed for the rise of Mnangagwa.
Kutonga Kwaro came a year after the release of Mudhara Vachauya which means a respected man is on his way.
Although Jah Prayzah always downplays links between political developments and his lyrics, describing it as a mere coincidence, the release of these two and prophetic albums cant be dismissed as mere coincidence.
Music critics concluded that Jah Prayzah had inside information and was fighting in Mnangagwa’s corner. Kutonga Kwaro was hailed as the voice of the revolution then as every revolution has its own voice. During colonial rule and its fight artistes such as Thomas Mapfumo, Chinx Chingaira and Clive Malunga sang for the black majority and against the colonial rule.
Under the album Kutonga Kwaro- Muchinjiko is a song, rather a prayer to the Lord and to the liberator of a generation.
He speaks of the burdensome life Zimbabweans had to endure under the Mugabe reign.
Another song Masoja was prophetic in chronicling and prepping the populace on how the army would come to defend and free the people from tyranny, and the prophecy came true with the military assisted coup.
Ironically Jah Prayzah’s trademark gear then was the military gear which other artistes were not allowed wearing,
Jah Prayzah was their special kid who would have access to anything he wished for.
Kutonga Kwaro (Garwe) then was an introduction of a new dispensation, the reign of Emmerson Mnangagwa, popularly known as Garwe.
However, as the country goes through economic collapse and more reports of human rights violation and massive corruption, Kutongakwaro, the same soundtrack to the military coup would come back to haunt Jah Prayzah and be used as a satirical parody to show how the government of Mnangagwa had failed on its first 100 days promise, the promise of the 2018 election campaign and also today’s promises.
