Jah Prayzah, Winky D rekindle ‘rivalry’

Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday Life Reporter
IT is a rivalry that has been widely spoken about but never acknowledged by the two men said to be in the middle of it.
For years, Jah Prayzah and Winky D have been depicted as two men that are in a life and death struggle for the title of being Zimbabwe’s best and most prominent musician.

However, both men have never acknowledged this rivalry, seemingly happy to keep fans and the media talking about what they might or might do to outdo each other whether in the studio or on stage.

Well, next Saturday, Bulawayo is set to host the next instalment of this cold war when Jah and Winky clash at a show dubbed the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Shutdown at the Boundary.

For the previous five editions, Jah Prayzah and Winky D have been pitted against each other on stage, battling to win the hearts and ears of Bulawayo music lovers on what is usually one of the busiest days in the city’s calendar, the last day of the ZITF. This year’s ZITF is set to run from 26 to 30 April.

For music lovers, this gig is a signal that things may in fact be beginning to return to “normal”, with Jah Prayzah coming back to the City of Kings for the first time in three years. Local fans have had to be satisfied with watching the country’s two blockbuster acts from afar as Covid-19 wrought havoc on the arts and entertainment scene.

Event promoter Dee Nosh said they were excited about bringing the two local music titans to Bulawayo, the one place where they were both comfortable exchanging notes on the same stage. Organised by 2 Kings Entertainment and Harris Hotels, the gig will also see Fab G, DJ Mzoe, DJ Nospa and Noereen are also set to perform on the day.

“The shutdown gig has always been a combo of two giants, Winky D and Jah Prayzah. Before Covid-19, we held the show every year in Bulawayo as a way of providing entertainment for those who would be attending the ZITF as well as fun lovers from the city. It proved to be the biggest show in Zimbabwe hence we’ve been hosting it consistently.”

This will be the second time in a row that the gig has been held at Queens Sports Club (The Boundary), after it was held at Amphitheatre (three years in a row), Large City Hall car park and Hartsfield.