Jah Prayzah to take Zimbabwean music to China

The tour will be part of his ambassadorial duties for Dream Star (formerly Zim Got Talent), a Chinese-funded talent search programme. As the brand ambassador of the Dream Star talent search competition, Jah Prayzah (aka Mukudzeyi Mukombe) will be accompanying a group of the contest’s top performers. The ‘Tsviriyo’ hit maker was appointed the Dream Star Zimbabwe brand ambassador in July this year and will be marketing the brand.

While in the People’s Republic, Jah Prayzah will be performing in three cities in China, where he will have the opportunity to promote his latest album, Jerusarema, a huge hit in Zim. The young stars will also perform in China as part of their tour. The trip was made possible by the Chinese federation working in conjunction with Jacaranda Culture and Media Corporations as a way of promoting young talent in Zimbabwe.

In a recent interview with The Herald, his manager Keen Mushapaidze confirmed the trip, adding that they would be touring alongside the talent search programme's entourage. "We are hoping to open several avenues not only for our band but for other local outfits as well. We have been assured that we will be able to tour with our usual touring group, so I am certain they will deliver their best," said Mushapaidze.

But before they leave for the tour, Jah Prayzah and his group, Third Generation, headline the Gaborone International Music and Culture Week (GIMC) on Saturday 5 September. "It is really a tight schedule as we have to perform at a corporate event in Victoria Falls on 6 September,” Mushapaidze told The Herald. “The two events are equally important and we have to fulfil both. We are trying to make a footprint on the continent by performing at an event that the Batswana regard as their own HIFA.”

Jah Prayzah said he never expected to perform in China and it still shocks him that from his humble beginnings in the village of Uzumba, he is getting a platform to venture into unchartered territories. "In my imagination and dreams, I never thought one day I would ever get the chance to perform in China," he told The Herald. "It's a great achievement and we are so excited. We do not know what we are going to encounter there … but I am hoping that we are going to make people happy and they get to see our Zimbabwean culture and the way we perform our music."