The Sunday News
Langalakhe Mabena
Frie-nemies! That’s the term suitable to describe the relationship between Military Touch Movement boss Mukudzei “Jah Prayzah” Mukombe and his former protégé Andrew “Andy Muridzo” Ngwenya.
Before fame and money separated the two, life was good back then without any forces which can separate the lads who seemed to be true buddies who grew up together even sharing the same food during break time at school.
It all began at Mushanhi Secondary School in Murehwa where both artistes did their Ordinary Level studies with Jah Prayzah being in the top stream while Andy was a junior. Despite their age difference, the two used to play together because they shared similar interests.
They both loved music such that they were part of the school choir. Ironically, Jah Prayzah was the one who inspired Muridzo to join the choir because the young Andy was a raw talent that Jah couldn’t ignore.
As soon as Muridzo was conscripted into the choir, the two took turns to lead the serenades and harmonies of the choral group, back then Jah Prayzah was not jealous of the competition that Andy brought about, instead he admired the talent he was grooming with passion.
Still maintaining the same strong relationship, when they finished high school Jah Prayzah started to pave his own way into the harsh local music industry to curve a name in 2006 which saw him releasing his fist album Dura.
Albums like Rudo Nerunyararo, Sungano Yerudo and Ngwarira Kuparara followed after which at least managed to maintain Jah Prayzah’s stronghold on the music scene until 2013 when he decided to recall his long lost “project” Andy Muridzo under his wings in 2013.
After such a symbiotic relationship one question arises. Did Jah Prayzah make a wrong move to recall Muridzo or it was a calculated move to destroy him?
Perhaps the move was good because Andy is a talented gem who can’t be ignored, and under the tutelage of Jah Prayzah one would have expected his rise to fame to be fast and epic in the Showbiz scene.
Or was the move calculated to contain Muridzo so that he couldn’t be a threat to Jah Prayzah’s musical career?
However, under Jah’s monitoring eye, Muridzo managed to release three albums which are Pakubuda Kwezuva released in March 2015, Ngarizhambe in 2016 which had his ground breaking track Dherira and Tichambotenderera released in March 2017.
When Jah Prayzah had all the financial muscle to start his own music stable Military Touch Movement last year, Andy Muridzo who by then people termed as Jah Prayzah’s “only competitor” was among the artistes which were signed under MTM.
Poor Andy signed a five-year deal with MTM, a bargain he regretted for the rest of his life after what was stated on his contract like marketing and distributing his music, collaborating with African and International artistes of his choice, to mention a few were not fulfilled leading to Andy terminating his contract in March this year.
Jah Prayzah, as Andy says, failed to contain his own problem which he groomed way back at secondary school, as they had what looked like true brotherhood, money and ego among other factors are some of the reasons which destroyed their adorable relationship.
Within a space of two months after leaving MTM, the brave Andy went on to be an independent artiste who can’t be contained by any person and free to do his own things at his own time, his new 15-track album titled Munondo released this month can be a testimony.
On the album, Andy somehow throws shades on his former pay master describing him as a selfish person who only thinks for himself. Songs like Matomonyomo and Njerekunje are somehow a message to capitalists who use other people to become wealthy.
Muridzo’s new manager Gift Petro revealed fans should give him a second chance to prove he is talented.
“Just like every person who had a bad past, Andy seeks a second chance from his fans to prove that they can depend on his music, he is also a changed man as we taught him how to treat himself as a brand,” said Petro.
With Andy doing well on his own as shown by the sold-out show at the launch of Munondo album at Harare’s Club 1+1 Long Chen Plaza, that is a proof that Jah Prayzah failed to restrain Muridzo.
