Chitubu: Another political project from Jah Prayzah

There is no doubt that Jah Prayzah is one artist who is extremely talented as the evidence is there for all to see. The meteoric ascendancy to prominence of the Third Generation band frontman is one of those rare tales that would tempt one to equate it to the Cindrella tales.

Jah Prayzah's music is one kind that is unique but delicately worthwhile to enjoy the innuendos of well crafted powerful lyrics. The mixture of the traditional mbira beat and the modern genres sounds to produce the contemporary reggae flavour makes Jah Prayzah's songs irresistible to anyone.
While Mukudzei Mukombe (Jah Prayzah's name) has enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence, his music has not escaped public scrutiny especially the use of hidden 'gaffe' which have of late been pronounced as political.

It all started with Mudhara Vachauya in 2016 that received telescopic analysis amid the rise of political tensions within the Zimbabwe ruling party of Zanu-PF.

The party was then believed to be divided along factional lines of Team Lacoste headed by then Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa against the Generation40 (G40) composed of then First Lady Grace Mugabe, Savior Kasukuwere, Jonathan Moyo and Patrick Zhuwao.

It is during that time when Jah Prayzah released the Mudhara Vachauya album that Mnangagwa's critics dismissed as a praise and worshiping project for the man who has now risen to become the revolutionary party's and Zimbabwe's frontman after a de facto coup in November 2017 toppled then leader Robert Mugabe.

Mudhara Vachauya is a song that gives an insight into the imminent arrival of a darling or 'messiah' that is going to bring happiness and also aid the cause of the unfortunate ones. It is the inclusion of the Shumba(lion) reference a Mnangagwa honorific title that left everyone convinced the song served a hidden political purpose.

Amid the escalating suspicion and controversy Jah Prayzah went further by dropping another 'politically charged' album Kutonga Kwaro in 2017 which though seems to be a self-praise project of the artist's exploits in an indubitably successful career is no doubt political.

Nobody can pre-empt the songs such as Kutonga Kwaro, Masoja, Ndini Ndamubata among others in that project which all 'prophesied' all the events leading up to the controversial 'soft coup' that saw the removal of the then Africa's strongman Robert Mugabe.

Some have argued that since Jah Prayzah is a traditional music artist, he might have received revelation from the extraterrestrial forces on what was in the offing. Well nobody knows, especially with the other claim that he was given lyrics written by the military members who had already planned the 'coup' in advance according to the Blue Ocean dossier leaves complicated lines on the board.

In that light, Jah Prayzah's fan base was now almost dwindling with other people having their musical taste determined by their political affiliation. Jah Prayzah though should be understood, especially for someone whose roots traces to Uzumba, a well-known stronghold of the Zimbabwe's ruling party. After all he is a human being and it's his choice to be affiliated to any party.

The Military Touch Movement boss drops another project Chitubu on 2nd November 2018 and questions are already in the fray whether the project will be apolitical after all.

Whilst questions are being tossed up from Zambezi to Limpopo and beyond the borders, the initially released Chitubu track has given another hint that the leopard might not have left its spots after all.

Chitubu is a Shona word which means a spring, which is a natural fountain of water weather hot or cold that can just surface anywhere through natural means. Jah Prayzah's Chitubu is an appeal to an elder one or a 'deity' figure sought of for solace and remembrance.

The song which is a prayer to the ancestral spirit has the persona yearning for his final ascendancy to the highest throne after a series of pain. The persona also goes on with his appeal for acceptance as he is a spring that pours into other streams and brings prosperity.

In that deep Jah Prayzah's voice, the persona goes on to appear for the light which is usually a symbol of leadership and guidance. Beginning life by crawling then roaming around, the lyrics go on to reveal of great things that will soon come out of Hwedza in the soonest.

The line "ndakamirira zvikuru zvouya Hwedza mangwana" has more fable narratives which have to be unpinned. Currently there is only one 'great thing' that can come out of Hwedza.

It is not a secret that Hwedza is the homestead of Vice President Constantine Chiwenga and amid rumors of re-surfacing factional battles in the ruling Zanu-PF party again it leaves more headaches as to whether the Uzumba-born artist has dropped his usual 'prophecies' yet again.

With Team Lacoste and the new Cosleg factions drawn into a tense battle as has been reported, has Jah Prayzah's Chitubu given a hint about VP Chiwenga's imminent rise. Time will tell if Chitubu is not another political project or 'prophecy' again.

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Wilson Chipangura is a poet, author and versatile writer. He writes here in his personal capacity.