HARARE - Jah Prayzah will release a 10-track album titled Kumbumura Mhute in April in a bid to fortify his position as one of Zimbabwe’s most followed musicians.
The Uzumba-born artiste performed songs that will feature on the upcoming fifth album during a well-attended gig at the Book Café on Friday night.
Jah Prayzah, whose real name is Mukudzei Mukombe, is optimistic that his fans will fall in love with the generally up-tempo Kumbumura Mhute.
“I hope our fans will like the songs on the upcoming album that we are sampling today,” said Jah Prayzah during the lively Book Cafe concert.
“It will be a big album that will tackle all sorts of themes.”
Standout tracks on the upcoming 10-tracker include the title track which is a feel-good song in the mould of Tsviriyo, the title track of his fourth and latest album.
“Kumbumura Mhute encourages music fans to dance and be happy,” explained Jah Prayzah before belting out the song to the delight of his fans that thronged Book Café on Friday night.
But a track provisionally titled Makanika looks set to be the upcoming album’s main hit judging from the positive response it generated on the night.
Makanika tells a story of a Nigerian man who falls in love with a Zimbabwean woman and because the West African guy is determined to settle in this country, he implores his lover to introduce him to her parents.
With its dose of Nigerian lingo and accent, Makanika has the potential to be the star track on the 10-track Kumbumura Mhute.
Though the unreleased songs took centre stage, the Book Café concert was a typical Jah Prayzah one, full of energy, action and dazzling choreography.
Friday night at the Book Café was not entirely a Jah Prayzah affair.
The stage was ably warmed up for him by rising Zimbabwean guitarist, singer and songwriter Tariro Ruzvidzo who is better known as Tariro Negitare.
For Tariro Negitare, who is riding high on her self-titled debut album, the Book Café concert was in a way a perfect platform to show why her star continues to shine on the Zimbabwean music scene.
During the recent festive season, Tariro Negitare shared the stage with South African songstress Zahara and Oliver Mtukudzi at the 7 Arts Theatre in Harare.
The rising songstress also had the rare honour of sharing the stage with Canadian rock star Bryan Adams during his concert at the Harare International Conference Centre recently.
Tariro entertained the crowd with songs such as Unofona Back, Uripi, African Girl, Ndisiye Ndakadaro and Wild Life off her highly-successful 10-track album.
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