Mukudzeyi Mukombe (born 4 July 1987), better known as Jah Prayzah, is a
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...
an contemporary musician and lead member of the band ''Third Generation''. He is popularly referred to by fans and media as "Musoja", the
Shona
Shona often refers to:
* Shona people, a Southern African people
* Shona language, a Bantu language spoken by Shona people today
Shona may also refer to:
* ''Shona'' (album), 1994 album by New Zealand singer Shona Laing
* Shona (given name)
* S ...
word for "soldier", a name he earned mostly because of his signature band uniform of military regalia. The name "Jah Prayzah" comes from his name, "Mukudzeyi", which means "Praise Him".
Early life and education
Mukombe was born and raised in Uzumba, Murehwa, a small town about 95 km from Harare, capital of Zimbabwe.
[Robert Mukandiwa]
About Us
''Jah Prayzah Official Website''. Retrieved:16 March 2014.
He is the last born in a family of five.
As a young boy he liked writing, reading his father's Shona novels, swimming in the river with friends, and hunting in the forests.
Time and again he would come back home with his shorts torn from all the climbing and adventure. Most importantly, he liked to sing. He nurtured this habit through singing at school assemblies and at church, as well as playing the
mbira
Mbira ( ) are a family of musical instruments, traditional to the Shona people of Zimbabwe. They consist of a wooden board (often fitted with a resonator) with attached staggered metal tines, played by holding the instrument in the hands and p ...
with his teacher Mupa Musimbe. As he grew older and as his mbira skills improved, Mukombe felt confident and inspired to pursue his interests in music. People began to realize his natural gift in music and language, and encouraged him to be serious with it.
Mukombe, attended Musamhi Primary School and later Musamhi High School in Mutoko, in
Mashonaland East Province
Mashonaland East, informally Mash East, is a province of Zimbabwe. It has an area of 32,230 km2 and a population of approximately 1.35 million (2012). Marondera is the capital of the province.
Geography
Districts
Mashonaland East i ...
. He then relocated to Harare where he stayed with his uncle and eventually completed his ordinary and advanced levels of education in
Harare
Harare (; formerly Salisbury ) is the capital and most populous city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of 940 km2 (371 mi2) and a population of 2.12 million in the 2012 census and an estimated 3.12 million in its metropolitan ...
.
Music career
Mukombe's first experience with composing music was during his early years of high school. He started to record dancehall and reggae tracks with his friends with some tracks creating a vibe in the suburb, but failing to hit the national music scene. He later recorded contemporary music and afro jazztracks with DJ Thando and other local producers, releasing singles such as "Sorry Mama" and "Seiko".
He started his career in 2005. In 2007, he released his first commercially launched album, ''Sungano''. He went on to release two more albums, ''Rudo neRunyararo'' and ''Ngwarira Kuparara''. The latter was commercially successful and contained the singles "Maria" and "Dande", the latter of which featured
Chiwoniso Maraire
Chiwoniso Maraire (5 March 1976 – 24 July 2013) was a Zimbabwean singer, songwriter, and exponent of Zimbabwean mbira music. She was the daughter of Zimbabwean mbira master and teacher Dumisani Maraire (and former officer in the Zimbabwe Mini ...
. ''Ngwarira Kuparara'' was commercially successful, and he was offered a contract for the Wednesday slots at a local Harare pub called Jazz 105.
In 2013, he released his fourth album ''Tsviriyo'' and won a NAMA award for song of the Year for the song "Gotchi Gotchi". In 2014, he released ''Kumbumura Mhute''. In the same year he won five NAMA awards and two ZIMA awards.
In 2015, he opened a new studio and released his sixth studio album, ''Jerusarema''.
His most notable work was a collaboration with award-winning Tanzanian artist
Diamond Platnumz
Nasibu Abdul Juma Issack (born 2 October 1989), popularly known by his stage name Diamond Platnumz, is a Tanzanian bongo flava recording artist, dancer, philanthropist and a businessman of Ha heritage. He is the founder and CEO of WCB Wasafi R ...
on his hit song "Watora Mari", which reached over a million views on YouTube in less than a month after its release. "Watora Mari" has enjoyed massive airplay on
MTV base and Trace Africa.
On 2 November 2018, Mukombe launched his eighth studio album titled ''Chitubu''. The album features collaborations from well known African artists such as Patoranking and Sauti Sol. In 2019, Mukombe was nominated for the ''Best Male Artist in Southern Africa'' in the All Africa Music Awards (
AFRIMAs).
Discography
Albums
* ''Gwara'' (9 July 2021)
* ''Hokoyo'' (2020)
* ''Chitubu'' (2 November 2018)
* ''Kutonga Kwaro'' (22 August 2017)
* ''Mdhara Vachauya'' (2016)
* ''Jerusarema'' (2015)
* ''Kumbumura Mhute'' (2014)
* ''Tsviriyo'' (2013)
* ''Ngwarira Kuparara'' (2012)
* ''Sungano Yerudo'' (2010)
* ''Rudo Nerunyararo'' (2007)
Awards
* MTV African Music Award 2016 - Listener's Choice Award
* NAMA 2013 Award for Song of the Year, "Gochi Gochi"
* 2013 Zimbabwe Peace ambassador award
* NAMA 2014 Awards - Outstanding Album, ''Tsviriyo''
[
* NAMA 2014 Awards - Outstanding Song, "Tsviriyo"][
* NAMA 2014 Awards - Outstanding Male Artist, Jah Prayzah][
* NAMA 2014 Awards - Outstanding Video, "Mwanasikana"][
* NAMA 2014 Awards - People's Choice, Jah Prayzah][
* Zim Dream Online award- 2014
* NAMA 2016 Awards - Album of the Year]Zimbabwe Achievers Awards
Zimbabwe Achievers Awards (Z.A.A.) also referred to as Zim Achievers Awards is an awards ceremony that seeks to recognise Zimbabweans based in the diaspora for outstanding and notable achievements. Among the awards recipients include Hollywood ac ...
- Best International Music Artist and he also performed with Nygyly Munyuki
Personal life
He is married to Rufaro Chiworeso, whom he sang about in his song ''Rufaro''. They have a son and three daughters. He also has a son from his previous marriage. In 2012, Mukombe revealed that his secret of success comes from his mother after she blessed him after giving her a US$7,000 as a present on a birthday party in 2012. Jah Prayzer's networth in 2022 is estimated at USD20000
Tours
Mukombe has had many international shows in Australia,tour
/ref> the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
,the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
,South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
.
References
External links
Facebook Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prayzah, Jah
Zimbabwean musicians
1987 births
Living people