The Sunday News
It is funny someone told Jah Prayzah that if you want to go international you need to lose your identity.
People in other countries will not care about his music because it does not appeal to their culture. He sings in Shona and he is trying to go international. Who cares internationally?
If he starts sounding like other musicians, he is only going to be compared to those who play this beat and genre the best; and he will fall short.
He should stick to his identity and appease local fans first and if he reaches the borders it should come as a bonus.
Who do you think looks forward to a Jah Prayzah album the most, a Congolese, Ghanaian, Nigerian or a Zimbabwean?
The answer is clearly a Zimbabwean, those in Namibia could care less about his music even though he did a collaboration with Diamond Platinumz.
Who here in Zimbabwe started listening to and loving Diamond Platinumz’s music because he did a collaboration with JP?
Not many care about Diamond Platinumz’s music, why? Because it does not appeal to our culture as Zimbabweans.
Why does JP think he should sound foreign to be accepted on the international stage?
He feels his true self is not good enough, and that if he sounds South African, Namibian, Nigerian or Ghanaian he will be worthy to be recognised on the international stage.
Mukanya and Tuku are truly internationally accepted musicians who never at once tried to sound like Lucky Dube, Salif Keita or Brenda Fassie.
Stick to your identity JP and target your people first.
If foreigners love our flavour, they will tap into it and enjoy.
Your videos are becoming explicit. This is Zimbabwe, and your videos’ content is not fit for family viewing, your so-called pathetic international focus is making you forget how to do an appropriate video.
Our musicians should be bearers of rich moral values in the messages and music they produce, but these videos are simply accelerating moral decay.
Poor JP, some will tell you otherwise but you will never grow if you listen to those who blindly praise you even when you release a mediocre song and video.
Speaking as it is, Harare.
